Runaway Love
by WhtChoc
Summary: AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, hotshot second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.
1. About Parties and Rejects

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title: **Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** Prologue: At the Party

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private university of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, hotshot second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Warning:** It's mature, which means there will be things in here that are not suitable for people who are uncomfortable with mature subjects, sex probably being the biggie. If you are among those people who are uncomfortable and/or who do not like to read about these things, please do not read this story any further.

**Author's Note:** This story is _completely_ AU. I've written one other AU story that turned out pretty successful called _Spin the Bottle_. That story will be done in about another three chapters. What I'm doing in this story is taking all of the characters that you saw in that story, including J.K's HP characters and including them in _this_ AU story. So you will be seeing Bella, Shauna, Damek, Chris, and other made up characters of mine that are not included in the HP world. Like I said, my other AU story turned out successful, and so if you have any doubts about whether you like AU, I encourage you to give this one chapter a shot. During _Spin the Bottle_, I had readers who never liked AU stories in Harry Potter become fans. Don't shut your doors too quickly.

* * *

**Prologue: At the Party**

_I love the way we dance in the back of the club_

_And you know you drive me crazy_

_When you hold my body close to yours_

_Makes me feel like I'm your baby_

_--- Mashonda_

"_Ew_, what does she think she's _doing_?" Bella asked her older brother, frowning in disgust.

James Potter looked in the direction in which Bella was frowning. In the middle of the dim room, dancing very closely and very provocatively with Damek Jacobs, was the lowlife reject and slut of the whole campus, Lily Evans. She seemed to be completely wasted and didn't seem to mind that Damek's hands were openly massaging her ass and shoving his no doubt hard-on into the apex of her thighs. The couple also didn't seem to notice the dirty, disgusted looks that were cast their way at their mating.

He scoffed, taking notice of the reject's clothes. Black high heels, a very, very short jean skirt that was faded and a tank top that probably couldn't even be considered a tank top because it _never_ covered what it was supposed to. He saw that Damek caught his gaze and with one hand, made an obscene gesture about Lily before his hands slid up under her "skirt."

James turned his head to his younger sister, disgusted.

"Who the fuck _cares_?"

_Exactly_ his point. He didn't care if Lily Evans got hand raped that night. _She_ was the one making her decisions, deciding to go all out slut. He'd seen her at these parties before, and in even worse condition than tonight, once or twice vouching to give head in the middle of a crowded room. At least _tonight_ she kept the guy's pants on. Still, Evans' reputation was completely and irreversibly _fucked up_.

Percy Academy University was one of the top, richest, and most prestigious schools in the country. Needless to say it was _very_ selective in its students and its faculty. Only the best of the best and the richest of the richest had the privilege of attending PAU. If you went to PAU, you were _guaranteed_ a prosperous future. Hands down. How _Evans_ ever made it into the school was a mystery among mysteries on the gorgeous campus in Los Angeles, California.

The thing was, was that James _did_ know how the reject made it in with the hotshots.

James's mother was the Advisor and Head of the Financial and Student Aids Department all the way across campus in Jamison Hall, a sort of Shelter for the poor and unfortunate people of the streets in downtown Los Angeles. His mother met Evans who he guessed was already living on the streets and made a deal with her that included the perks of getting the best education one could get in the whole country. James guessed it stuck with the redhead and ever since, Evans had been going to the private university while still sauntering about, mucking the already party-like ways of the student body into a dirty mud pile.

There wasn't one guy who didn't know about Lily Evans. About three quarters of the campus had fooled around with her, about half had fucked her, and about… _everybody_ would be damned if they admitted that they had or even _wanted_ to. Evans was just that kind of girl and for a while, James had felt sorry for her from afar until he started to realize that she could be a factor in her ruined reputation.

"Well, I don't _care_," Bella gritted her teeth, forcing herself to look away from the redhead and into the hazel eyes of her brother, "but it's kind of obscene, don't you think?"

James chose to shrug and not say anything. He didn't come to this party to watch Evans make a fool out of herself like always and he certainly didn't come here to listen to Bella's incessant complaining about the slut in question. He came to this party to have a good time and to forget about---

"James!" A shrill voice rang out.

He froze and Bella smirked. "Guess someone found you."

He glared at the brunette. "Shut up."

She started to back away, noticing the look of horror her actions were causing him. "I guess I should let you two talk out your differences."

He grabbed onto her arm, pleadingly. "Please, don't leave me alone with her…"

Bella shrugged out of his grasp and gave him an innocent smile, "It's between the two of you. You can't keep running away from her, James. Tell her the truth or suffer her obsessive and possessive qualities over you."

James watched his devious younger sister back into the crowd, leaving him to fend for himself. He sighed, shaking his head and hearing his name in that same shrill voice that gave him the chills. He counted to ten before turning and giving a very bright, very _fake_ smile to the girl now standing in front of him.

"Shauna." He said, in a forced cheerful tone.

"God," Shauna huffed, "Where have you _been_?"

He shrugged, putting his hands in jean pockets casually. "Bella and I just got here."

"Oh…" Shauna said quietly. "Well, I asked Remus where you were and he didn't know. And then I found Sirius about to screw some girl's brains out and asked but he threw his _boot_ at me."

James tried not to laugh. The idea of Sirius throwing his boot at Shauna while he was about to get some from some girl made him feel better. Sirius was one of his best friends and knew exactly the way James felt about Shauna. However, like Bella, he believed that James should tell Shauna himself, like a man. During times like these, James didn't necessarily _want_ to be a man.

"God," Shauna groaned, looking past James, undoubtedly at the scene he and Bella had caught before, "Can she be _any_ more of a slut? He's _fingering_ her on the dance floor and she's giving him a _hand job_."

James sighed. "Can we talk about something?"

Shauna looked up at him. "_Now_? Right here?"

The music sounded like it was getting louder so James leaned into Shauna so they could hear each other. "Well, yeah. I was planning on talking to you tomorrow but…"

"Oh my god!" Her voice shouted, right in his eardrum and he winced, immediately pulling back and rubbing his ear.

He looked at her to see she was looking behind him again with a bright smile on her face. He groaned and knew tonight wasn't going to be the night that he broke everything off with her. He wanted to swear over and over again but decided against it when she leaned up and gave him an excited peck on the cheek.

"That's Chris Amiet, the lead singer in that local band I was telling you about!" Shauna said, pointing and then patting her clothes down. "Oh my god, this is my chance. I'm going to go say hi to him." She started to walk away and then turned back, giving him a strange look. "Are you coming?"

James shrugged, shaking his head. "Nah, I think I'm just going to… um, find some people."

Shauna stared at him for a second before shrugging and turning into the crowd to make her way to the entrance of the room. James remembered Shauna mentioning this "really gorgeous" looking guy who was the lead singer of some local band in downtown L.A. Most boyfriends who cared if their girlfriend checked out other guys might be offended or angry but James saw this as an opportunity. With any luck, James thought as he made his way through the crowd, Shauna and this Chris Amiet would hit it off and _she_ would break up with _him_.

James walked up the stairs, occasionally being pulled to the side by one girl or another, flirtatiously inviting him to other parties and after parties. Up front, he generally told them that he could make it and if he didn't, he made up some kind of excuse that the girls usually giggled off and then they invited him to another.

James Potter was a _hotshot_ when it came to class and the campus. Everyone knew him. Most guys looked up to him with respect and hidden, sometimes obvious jealousy while all of the girls fawned over his good looks, generally good personality, and his charm. He had his own loft apartment off campus that his father had bought for him for his birthday. His mother had disapproved, stating that James and Bella would never know the hardships of regular people if his father always gave them big, expensive gifts. James loved his mother very much and was actually pretty close to her but that whole giving back to the community thing really never sat well for the rest of the family.

It might've been because Annette Potter came from the ghettos of Long Beach, California. She and her five older brothers lived with their drunken mother and step-father, just trying to get by on a daily basis. They attended the run down public school just down the street from their brick complex apartment building. They walked everywhere they went because they couldn't afford a car and couldn't even afford to take the bus sometimes.

Annette Potter was one of the most sympathetic, _empathetic_ women Nicholas Potter had ever met. James's father had instantly been intrigued with his mother's way of doing things, her sharp wit, and her obvious beauty. James's grandfather had a soft spot for giving back to the poor and had enlisted Nicholas to volunteer at a local shelter where he had met Annette. He instantly fell in love while it took Annette sometime to trust the fact that a very rich man was in love with her, for real.

After Annette's declaration of love for the kind and rich Nicholas Potter, he shortly proposed to her after. James had heard the story of a rich man falling in love with a poor girl too many times, as that was his parents' love story. They were still very much in love with each other… their passion and compassion for one another obvious to onlookers. They were partners. They were lovers. They were each other's best friends.

That's what James longed for some day and after suffering through Shauna's constant fussing, constant disapproval, and constant _nagging_; James knew he had to cut her off for good. It wasn't like he was actually looking for the woman he would spend the rest of his life with yet but he knew just prancing around with the absolute _wrong_ girl and somehow leading her on, was not good either. He knew that Shauna took his going steady with her as a sign that somehow she might be "the one" for him.

That wasn't his intention though. He had never even said that she was his steady girlfriend. They had met at one of these parties and had clicked physically and the next thing he knew, he was seeing her toothbrush, her shaving stuff, her towels, and practically her whole _wardrobe_ at his loft apartment _off_ campus. He remembered Sirius, Remus, and Bella all laughing at him about how afraid he was to hurt Shauna's feelings.

It wasn't that he was "afraid", ha. He just wasn't experienced in breaking it off with a supposedly steady girlfriend.

"Prongs," A familiar voice said from inside one of the bedrooms upstairs. "Is that you?"

James frowned and pushed the door open to see Sirius lounging on a cushioned chair over by the window without a shirt on and his jeans half buttoned up. He smirked when he saw that the girl that Sirius had been supposedly "screwing the brains out of" wasn't anywhere in sight. James walked more into the room as Sirius swung his legs around and faced his long time friend.

They had given each other nicknames when they were in elementary school growing up together. James was Prongs, Sirius was Padfoot, and Remus was Moony. Don't ask why they still used the names but it just kind of stuck after a while. Other people who looked up to the infamous "Marauders" as they were called on campus for being the hottest and richest guys, thought their nicknaming was cool or cute. Whatever.

"Your bloody obsessive girlfriend was looking for you earlier. Said she had some sort of surprise for you." Sirius said gruffly, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

James frowned and took a seat across from Sirius. "Yeah, she found me but she didn't mention any sort of surprise." He grinned. "She probably just said that to make it sound urgent."

Sirius let out a dry laugh. "_Bloody hell_." He exhaled and a cloud of smoke wafted through the air. "I threw my boot at her for interrupting me in my business."

James laughed. "Your business?"

Sirius nodded and took another drag and let it out slowly.

James looked around. "So where's the girl who you were doing er… business with?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and stood up, buttoning his jeans all the way. "We were interrupted too many times."

"By who?"

"Well, first by, Shauna," His voice went up real high as an imitation of what her voice sounds like, "And then by your bloody sister…"

James's eyebrows rose. "Bella came up here?" He narrowed his eyes. "With who?"

Sirius shrugged. "Hell if I know. The bint stumbled in here laughing with some know-it-all senior and left before I could ask any questions."

James stood up as well. "Did she look like she was drinking?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, just looked like she was about to have a good ol' time." He looked at James, seriously, "She's probably fine, James. She doesn't need your horse trotting to the rescue, she's a big girl." He lowered his voice. "Believe me, I know."

James wanted to ask more questions. If someone was trying to have a go at his baby sister, he wanted to know all about it. Fuck, he would kill _anyone_ who tried to take advantage of Bella, no matter _who_ the hell it was. But somewhere in his mind, he knew Sirius was right. Bella could handle herself and if she couldn't, well… he'd handle it for her.

"And then," Sirius continued, "Evans and that Damek kid stumbled in here, ripping clothes off this way and that. Not even recognizing the room was already occupied."

James didn't say anything while Sirius pulled the discarded shirt over his head.

"Basically spoiled my girl's mood, said we'd do it some other time and left. Didn't even bother to take her thong with her. Just left." He scoffed. "I swear that Evans girl scatters the room thin, don't you think?"

"How did you get them out?" James asked, deciding to try and be interested in what Sirius had to say about the reject.

"I got Damek out of his daze and he ran off. Evans got all huffy and puffy, we had some hot words and then she left too." Sirius said, and then got this faraway look in his eye. "Evans is a toughie… I mean, she's _easy_ but… that body can twist every which way, mm mm mm." He laughed, giving James a look. "And I should know… I've had her a couple nice times. I wish I had her when she's not wasted, though. She'd probably be ten times better."

Sirius caught the disgusted look James was giving him and laughed, patting James on the back. "Oh, come on, mate… you're the only guy within a thirty mile radius who hasn't or doesn't seem to want to have a go at Evans. _I'm_ not the one who's not normal."

James shrugged as they walked out of the room. "I'm not interested in _drunken_, _trashy_, _slutty_, lowlife _rejects_ like Lily Evans, Padfoot. I'm just not. I don't see where the appeal is, that's all."

"The appeal for guys like me is a good fuck, to be honest. Evans can ride all night long and plus she has a mouth like a… wow." He shook his head in thought before continuing, "And for guys like Remus, she's the kind of girl a guy wants to try and be her knight in shining armor, to be the one to get her off her ass and onto her feet. You just have to decide what kind of guy you are. The realist who sees what kind of girl Evans will always be or the dreamer that sees some kind of girl that Evans will _never_ become."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Alright… a couple things to clear up. I know some of you are thinking what horrible people the Marauders are and in the beginning, they are, I guess. It's important though to realize the character development that James and Sirius and Bella and everyone who seems really crude in this chapter need to go through. Lily's also portrayed as a slut, as a reject and as someone no one sees going anywhere but I assure you, there are many more parts to her character in this story. We'll go through them which will make her a more beautiful, more appealing, and sexier character. Right now, though, please bear with me in this. Things will get better and will get lighter. We just need to show how everyone is at _this_ point before we can go start making James realize his undying love for Lily and such. Stick with me! 


	2. About Outs and Ins

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** So Cold

**Chapter Began: **Saturday, January 06, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Tuesday, January 09, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Wednesday, January 10, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Warning:** _Very_ mature. You've been warned.

**Author's Note:** Thank you for the first reviews I got to this story: **Lady Crimson of Emerant** (for being my _very, very_ first review for this chapter and story), I love fred and George, someone (anonymous reviewer), kenziegirl, LaughingManiac, kit49, Untamed Loner, alondra, Ruby89, PotterChick958, thusispeak, greengrl… if it wasn't for these reviews, this second installment wouldn't have been published and updated. Thank you _very_ much.

This chapter is dedicated to you guys :)

On with the second chapter…

**Chapter One: So Cold**

_Show me how it ends, it's alright_

_Show me how defenseless you really are_

_Satisfied and empty inside_

_Well, that's alright_

_Let's give this another try_

_--- Breaking Benjamin_

"_You just have to decide what kind of guy you are. The realist who sees what kind of girl Evans will always be or the dreamer that sees some kind of girl that Evans will **never** become."_

Lily had just started to walk out of the bathroom when she heard the gruff voice that she recognized as Sirius Black's. She stopped herself from walking out completely into the hall and peaked around the corner to see Sirius and _James Potter_ walking out of the bedroom that she had previously stormed out of.

"I guess I'm the kind of guy that's a realist," James muttered, shaking his head, "_Especially_ after her show tonight."

The two guys disappeared down the stairs and Lily leaned against the wall of the bathroom, closing her eyes and breathing in deeply. Her first wave of emotions was somewhere between fear and shock that Sirius and James had been having a conversation about _her_, the campus's main reject. The second wave of emotions was her desire to kick Sirius's arrogant, holier than thou _ass_ while the other part of her wanted to jump James Potter and fuck him senseless.

_Everyone_ knew James. Even though he was at the top of the hierarchy at the university, you were considered idiotic if you had never heard of James Michael Potter. He and his friends and his brat kid sister, Bella, were considered untouchable, almost god-like. It was fucking ridiculous. They were like the Pope or… Ozzy Osborne.

Her head was starting to hurt from the excessive amounts of alcohol she consumed earlier that evening. She rubbed her temple and slid down the wall, wanting nothing more than to curl up in a cozy bed and sleep until the end of the world. She could if she wasn't always watching her back for one of Lucius' nasty minions.

Lucius Malfoy, on the surface to everyone in _that_ world, was very rich and very handsome. Many women who desired power and money flocked to his riches, attracted by fame's first light. He was a grad student just like the Marauders, waiting and biding his time for his father's position at some high tech corporation. Lily Evans was fuzzy on the details and what little details she was clear about, she hadn't gotten them from Lucius himself. Word trickled down the grapevine to rejects like herself and that's how he got all the many admirers and minions he did. They were hoping he'd give. No such luck yet, though.

Unbeknownst to his rich circle of friends, Lucius Malfoy was a main player in the dirty underground business of PAU. He met Lily Evans about a year or so ago and they formed an arrangement of sorts. He would provide Lily with great amounts of alcohol and certain illegal substances when he was feeling generous while she would provide him with free, mind blowing sex.

To Lily, he was the devil dressed as God, if she even believed in that sort of thing. Sex with Lucius was better than sex with most guys at PAU. He allowed her to be creative, even let her have an orgasm from time to time. He didn't mind her drinking. In fact, he said she was sometimes even _more_ creative when she was drunk, although she could never remember what she would do for him under the influence. He sometimes let her sleep the night, depending on who would be visiting him the next day. If it was his parents or friends, she'd have to find some place else to stay, but if it was just another follower of his, then she was free to sleep until noon the next day.

You'd think that a guy like Lucius Malfoy and the group of the Marauders with their reputations preceding them would get along or at least be amiable toward one another. The problem was that, that wasn't the case. Lucius and the Marauders hated one another with a passion not known at PAU for years. Their feuds and raging war sometimes affected those close to them and turned loved ones away.

The biggest, most competitive war was between Lucius Malfoy and James Potter, himself. Sometimes, unknown to James, Lily was caught in between this war, thrown in by Lucius. He tempted her to go to James and trick him, ruin his good reputation.

Lily never did.

As a matter of fact, Lily had never spoken to James Potter in all of her time here at PAU. Weird, because her life was so tied into the lives around James that she always found it odd that they had never come into contact with one another directly.

Examples of this odd occurrence would be that Lily had spoken to everyone James loved, even had some kinds of relationships with them. She and Sirius Black would sometimes screw around with each other when they'd argue. They almost got into something tonight when he had scared Damek off. Sirius Black was fucking hot and he was even hotter when he was below her, thrusting his hips and massaging her tits.

Lily was even closer to Remus Lupin, another one of James Potter's best friends. Although she had never had sex with Remus, and really couldn't see it ever happening, she and Remus were actually good friends despite the jokes about that fact. Remus Lupin was her only real good friend. Rather, her only real good friend _that was her age_.

Annette Potter was James's mother and Lily's mother-like mentor that had pulled her out of a very traumatic experience and placed her in one of the most famous schools in the country. Lily had to thank Annette for everything she'd ever done for Lily. If it wasn't for her, she probably would've ended up dead or pregnant.

Although Lucius disapproved of Lily's close ties with Annette and Annette disapproved of Lucius' hold on Lily, as she put it one day, Lily had to thank them both for the guidance that they had given her. They were both equally contributing to all that was Lily, but in very different ways.

"Evans," A voice drawled from the door, "What are you doing on the fucking floor in the bathroom?"

Lily looked up slowly, dizzily to see Damek standing above her. She was getting dizzier and dizzier. She couldn't see straight but Damek's body was outlined three or four times in front of her.

"I checked that bedroom and fucking Black is out of there. We can go party and fuck each other senseless, what do you say?" Damek asked.

"Clearly you're…" Her voice trailed off as she frowned and swallowed. She wasn't feeling too well. She closed her eyes, trying to fight it. "…out of your mind because…" She swallowed again, getting a nasty taste in her mouth. It tasted like… She glanced up at him, trying to see him clearly. "Did you put something in my drink, Damek?"

Damek didn't answer as he watched Lily collapse onto the floor, groaning and passing out. He stared at her for a second before shrugging and bending down. He checked her pulse and turned her over so that she was lying on her back. Her eyes were closed and she looked like she was in a deep sleep, "Fuck… Lucius was right about that pill."

He wrapped his arms around Lily and lifted her so that she was above his shoulder. He checked to make sure he hadn't bumped her head and that she was still sleeping before making his way out of the bathroom. He smirked at his success and turned into the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him.

…

"Remus!" Bella exclaimed excited, as she jumped on the sandy haired guy, hugging him.

He grinned and hugged her back. "Hey, Bella."

Bella giggled and jumped off of him and settled back into her seat in the café in Hamilton Hall. Last night had been all about partying and dancing that she had decided today would be about coffee and studying for her basic courses. James was off somewhere so she had called Sirius out to breakfast. He stubbornly agreed and said Remus would be joining them. Bella didn't care, she loved Remus. He was sweet. Different than her brother and Sirius whose egos mostly got the better of them.

"Where's Sirius?" Remus asked curiously, taking a seat at the table.

Bella rolled her eyes and pointed to the breakfast line.

Remus looked and saw that Sirius was talking (flirting) with some undergrad, probably about food, trying to be funny and get her attention. The girl giggled and obviously liked the attention so it was probably working. Remus chuckled, shaking his head and pulling himself closer to the table.

"Does he ever quit?" Bella asked, her face falling a little.

Remus looked at her, noticing the bitterness in her tone. "Sirius likes to feel like he can get any girl he wants. It's who he's always been." He cracked a smile. "We accept, Bella, we don't sulk."

"It's easy for you to say," Bella huffed, "You're not a girl who thinks he's attractive."

He laughed. "True."

She shifted in her seat, as a way of changing the subject. "So, where were you last night? You didn't go to the party over at Valentine's."

Remus nodded. "That's because I was studying for an exam that Sirius and James were _supposed_ to be studying for but weren't."

"Slackers."

"Yep." He scrunched his nose a bit and asked, "Should I rub it in their faces when I get better grades than them?"

"No." Bella said, "You're too sweet for that."

Remus smiled and leaned back in his chair. "So, how was the party? Full of drinkers and slackers all around or…?"

Bella shrugged. "It was alright. Same old stuff… couples in bedrooms trying to have sex while other people just bluntly had sex out on the dance floor."

Remus nodded slowly. "Did James break things off with Shauna?"

Bella laughed, shaking her head.

He laughed as well. "Wow, he must _really_ like her…"

She knew he was being sarcastic but she answered anyways. "Or he must be really scared."

"Who's really scared?" Sirius said, patting Remus on the back and sitting on the other side of Bella.

"James." Bella said shortly, before taking a bite out of her muffin.

"Ooh, because he can't break up with the psycho bitch?" Sirius asked.

"Yup."

"Who was having sex on the dance floor?" Remus asked, curiously.

"Hmm?" Bella murmured, bread in her mouth.

"You mentioned someone having sex on the dance floor."

"Mate, who do you bloody think she's talking about?" Sirius asked, irritation hinting in his voice. "Your bloody new best friend, Lily slutty Evans."

"Oh…"

"Hey," Bella said, once her mouth was empty of food, glaring at Sirius, "You're the one who's screwed her a couple times so you're not allowed to sound irritated or whatever at anything."

"What?" Sirius said, defensively, "I only did her three times. That's _hardly_ close."

"What is considered close to you then?" Bella asked, color rising in her cheeks. "I saw you last night with that girl or whatever straddling your hips. That's not close enough for you?"

"Shut your bloody…" Sirius was getting angry too.

"Okay, okay," Remus held up his hand and scooched Bella's chair back from being so close to Sirius's. "Referee definitely will call a time out." He looked between the two. "Lily was having sex on the dance floor?"

"What are you going to do, Moony?" Sirius said frustrated but mockingly. "Your charge is diminishing as we speak. Will her knight in shining armor come to her bloody rescue or not?"

Remus shook his head. "Lily's old enough to make her own decisions."

Sirius and Bella snort and then when they realize they've reacted the same way, they glare at each other before looking away.

"I just can't believe she would…" He shook his head, shocked.

Bella sighed reluctantly. "Look, Remus, she wasn't exactly… you know. But, she wasn't dancing either."

He glanced at her. "Has anyone seen her since last night?"

"Hell if we know, mate." Sirius scoffed, "I let her sleep in one time after a night… and she didn't bloody wake up until two in the afternoon the next day. Even then, she was out cold. I had to shake her awake and get her out before my uncle came."

"Yeah, I'm sure it was your uncle." Bella replied sarcastically.

Sirius was about to say something but he turned his head to see James walking toward them. "Prongs, buddy, what's happening?"

James came to stand in front of them and nodded to Remus.

"So," Bella prompted. "Did you end up dumping the frigid bitch or is she still around?"

James swallowed and the three groaned.

"It's not that I didn't try…" James started but Sirius groaned.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. She's got you, mate."

"…It's just she never stops talking. It's like talking to a wall except a wall doesn't talk over you." James sat down in a huff. He turned his head to Remus. "How's it going?"

Remus shrugged, glancing at the clock on the wall. "I actually have to get some place."

James looked surprised. "Where do you have to go? I can drive you…"

Remus shook his head. "No, I don't know…"

"Oh, come on. I haven't seen you in days. Let me drive you."

Remus stared at James's earnest look before sighing. "Alright, but, don't say I didn't warn you."

Sirius and Bella both gave quizzical glances and James just shrugged, standing up again and pulling out his keys to his Lexus.

"Is it far or…?" James started to ask.

"No, it's not far. Just across the campus." Remus answered and they said goodbye to Bella and Sirius.

…

James didn't know how the hell it happened but they ended up really _across the campus_. Across the campus meaning they were in the Underground of PAU, with the outside of dorms and Halls looking more beautiful than ever but the insides of these places probably looking terrible, smelling of booze and cloudy with drugs. The _real_ hierarchy of the university never made it to this side of campus, never _wanted_ to.

Sure, if they were looking to get caught up in something deep, they would journey over the invisible line but generally, if you were a true PAU student, you stayed out of the dark lives of those who just went because their parents had sent them there, those who really didn't give a shit about their futures. At PAU, your reputation was all you had and you had to safeguard that with everything.

"Uh… are you sure this is where you have to go, Remus?" James asked, again not believing that he wasn't reversing his car and speeding back to where familiar sightings were.

Remus nodded, glancing out the window. "Just park over here."

James looked to where Remus pointed to a spot under the shade on the intersection of two roads. James did as Remus said and turned the ignition off. He looked around and even though this part of the campus looked as sunny and friendly as _his_ part of the campus, he still couldn't help but notice the different air in this atmosphere. It was darker, colder.

"You don't have to come in." Remus said softly, unbuckling his seat belt.

James unbuckled his. "Can you just tell me why we're over here?"

Remus met his eyes. "I'm here to get a friend."

James frowned, wondering what friend he was talking about. "Yeah, okay, me too… but, I didn't know you had friends over here."

Remus stepped out of the car and before slamming the door, he muttered, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you…"

…

James followed Remus into the Hall and already wanted to gag at the intense smell of vodka and something else mixed with it. The carpeted floor creaked and looking around, James wondered where everyone was. Back at his side of the campus, people would be in the halls, playing football, flirting with one another, and loud music would be blasting from each of the dorm rooms.

But here?

There was nothing that signified there was any life in this place. The air was cloudy and the light shined through the windows in wisps. Some of the doors to the dorm rooms were wide open with no one inside them. This place was fucking deserted.

"This is kind of freaky, you know…" James whispered.

Remus didn't answer or look back.

"Is this where you were last night?" James joked. "Partying with the rejects of PAU?"

Remus shot James a glare and James's smile wore off. "No, I was studying for the exam that you and Sirius will fail today."

James frowned. "There's an exam today?"

"Yup."

They turned and Remus knocked on a door after they stopped.

James was really curious about who this friend was of Remus' and why Remus was so touchy on the subject of rejects. Remus knew that's the way their school worked. They had agreed together as friends that they would accept that in order to get a good head start on their future. Why was Remus suddenly so offended by that now?

When no one answered, Remus turned the knob and opened the door. The two guys watched as the door slowly opened to reveal two beds, just like James's part of the campus, with a body lying lazily on the bed to the right. James frowned through the darkness of the room to try and see who it was. Remus quickly made his way in while James followed.

"Shit…" Remus muttered, immediately walking over to the lying form on the bed. "What did she take this time?"

James froze.

The body on the bed was the Evans girl.

What the _fuck_?

"James, get a bucket of water. It's in the bathroom across the hall." Remus said, lifting Lily's head in his lap.

It took James a few seconds to comprehend what Remus was saying but once he saw that Lily was passed out and seemed completely gone, his legs were forced into action. He left the room.

Remus glanced down at Lily. "Lily, what have you done this time?"

Lily didn't respond but moaned something incoherent and nuzzled deeper into Remus' lap.

James came back with the bucket of water and handed it to Remus.

Remus worked quickly with it and made Lily drink some of it. She wasn't swallowing and so when it went down, she coughed it up, and in doing so, woke herself up. Sort of. Her eyes opened a little but she was still very disoriented.

"What's wrong with her?" James frowned at the redhead in Remus' lap, confused about everything.

"Either someone slipped something in her drink or she got something from someone underground here. Either way, she won't be completely fine until tomorrow. She's too wasted and high." Remus answered matter-of-factly.

James shrugged. "So, what do we do with her until then?"

Remus glanced at the clock by the bedside. "I have class in forty-five minutes. I don't want anyone seeing her like this because it'll just ruin her reputation more. Plus, if the wrong person sees her or finds out where she is, at least until tomorrow, they might try something."

James didn't know what possessed him to do it but he said, "What about my place?"

Remus glanced at James shocked.

James was shocked too but now that he said it, he continued, "I mean… at least until she's safe or… whatever. Plus, it's off campus so no one will see her."

Remus stared at James before slowly nodding. "It's up to you. You don't have to do this."

James shrugged, getting used to his insane idea and stepping forward. "Well, my mom's always telling me that I need to connect with different people." He cracked a small, unsure smile. "Guess this is my opportunity."

"Okay…" Remus said slowly and Lily coughed again.

"Remus…" Lily murmured and the two guys looked down at her.

"She really knows it's you, huh?" James asked, shocked that Remus and _Evans_ had a friendship he didn't even know about. "Are you two… er…?"

Remus shook his head. "We need to get her out of here. If you're serious about helping her, how about you drop me off in front of our Hall and drive out to your apartment to get her settled?"

James nodded and Remus stood up, attempting to lift Lily onto his shoulders. But being the very thin guy that he was with pretty serious back problems, he couldn't hold her light weight. He groaned and set her down again, breathing in deeply.

"I hurt my back again…" Remus explained, shaking his head.

Offering his apartment was one very, very _big_ thing. That was something he hadn't even properly done for Shauna before she just decided to move her stuff in. Offering to touch _Evans_, the dirtiest girl of them all… that was something _else_ entirely. But, he wanted to help Remus and oddly enough, he kind of wanted to help Evans and seeing her so weak… so without another word, James stepped forward and easily lifted Evans into his arms.

His eyes widened when Evans nuzzled closer to his neck, wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders and her legs tightly around his waist. He gulped at the unsettling feeling of _arousal_ at being so close to her. How the hell did _that_ happen? Her hair smelled _terrible_, like booze and drugs, although he could smell like that too from just standing in this place because the smell was so dense.

"Mm…" Lily murmured, snuggling closer to James.

Remus looked amused when James shot him a look of horror.

"You smell so good…"

James swallowed again and motioned for the door. "Do you want to get that?"

Remus nodded and opened the door for James.

"Why do you smell so good?" Lily asked, clamping her legs tighter around his waist.

"I shower and…" He groaned a little when Lily rocked her hips against his, slowly as they walked out of the building. Remus walked behind them, not noticing what Lily was doing to James. "I wash my hair."

"Here, I'll get the car door…" Remus said, walking ahead of them.

James licked his lips and tried to ignore Lily altogether, even though he was carrying her.

"Mm… I haven't been able to shower or wash my hair safely in… I don't know how long…" Lily replied, tiredly.

That didn't surprise James. She never looked completely clean. It was sad.

"I haven't eaten a good meal in longer than that…"

"Why not?" James asked, despite his fight over whether to engage in the conversation or not.

"It's not safe."

James frowned, wondering what all of that 'safe' talk was about. Remus motioned to the open door and James gently placed Lily in his beat seat. She held fast to him but when he reassured her that it was okay, she slowly let him go.

"You sound like this really, _really_ handsome guy I sometimes have fantasies about." Lily whispered.

James smirked, despite himself. "Really? Who would that be?" No harm in fishing around what Evans fantasized about.

"Yeah…" Lily murmured, laying her head down on the seat and closing her eyes, "But I would never give his name away. Not even for a million dollars."

He frowned. "Even if you needed it? You wouldn't tell anyone?"

"No." Lily said simply, her eyes still shut. She was _gone._ "I care about him too much to ruin his reputation."

James shrugged, not really caring who it was so he shut the back seat door and walked over to his side of the car and got in. He put the key in the ignition and turned it over. He glanced at Remus who was smiling at him.

"Thanks, James." Remus said, truly sincere.

James nodded and drove them away quickly back to _his_ side of the campus.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So… how do you like this chapter? Remus was introduced in this one, finally. Do you like the way I wrote him? He's a bit different than the other Marauders and Bella, hmm? Plus, it was important for him to enter this chapter instead of the Prologue or the next chapter because I needed to get James and Lily talking with each other pretty quickly. Remus is their connection. And James Potter offers to take Lily Evans back to his place? That's pretty important right now in their development too. Lily will get better, I promise. She's at a low place in her life. She has the support, she obviously recognizes the support, and now she just needs to use it. And what's this danger she's always talking about? You'll find out about that stuff in the pretty near future.

Again, thanks for the reviews and I hope you keep reviewing!


	3. About Charitable Acts and Coats

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** Charitable Acts

**Chapter Began:** Tuesday, January 09, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Friday, January 12, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Saturday, January 13, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Warning:** _Very_ mature. You've been warned.

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for your generosity in reading and reviewing my story! I really didn't think it would pick up anyone because of the feel of the characters with Lily being the way she is and James kind of equally not like everyone else writes them or in any of my other stories.

_Lady Crimson of Emerant: thank you for the reviews… hopefully this chapter will persuade you to add this story to your favorites. _

_rockstar-101: this story will be more than three chapters, lol. I meant that my other story only has three or four chapters left before I finally finish it. Thank you for your review!_

_kkroonie: Nope, I just like L.A, lol. Thanks for the review and I hope you keep reading!_

_And also thank you to Eve1980, Lulu, Untamed Lover, joeygurl209, Kit49, greengrl, messyblackhair66, PotterChick958, me (anonymous reviewer)…_

This chapter is dedicated to women who have gone through what Lily is going through in this story.

* * *

**Chapter Two:** **Charitable Acts**

_She looked for her father_

_And the minute that she saw him_

_All that she had to offer_

_Was her crying_

_No one to figure out why_

_This young girl would live her life_

_In such pain and unhappiness_

_Cause she was so beautiful_

_--- Destiny's Child_

James watched Lily turn over in her sleep on his couch from his balcony. Yesterday, it had been oddly stifling in his loft apartment when he had settled Lily onto his black futon. She seemed to shiver though so he had retrieved his big blanket that he had stored away for when winter _actually_ came and pulled it over her and watched as she cuddled more into it.

For a second there, he had become mesmerized by the hard lines in her face that immediately softened and the small smile that overtook her (_Gods help him_) gorgeous lips. He bet no one had ever seen her like this… her defenses down, her frown eased, and her lips soft. She actually looked kind of _nice_ sleeping.

Then, snapping himself out of it and remembering that this was _Evans_ he was thinking about, he immediately went to work on his apartment. He had needed to go out later last night and he couldn't risk half his shit being stolen. He placed all of his valuables in that lock that his father always said he would need some day in case of an emergency and had even debated on whether to lock his clothes up too. He'd only seen Evans wear a total of about three outfits and he didn't know how desperate she really was. After seriously debating it, he had decided against it… thinking he was probably being _too_ paranoid. When she eventually woke up, he wanted to appear cool and casual. When she thanked him for saving her, he wanted to be able to just shrug it off like he did this type of stuff all of the time.

Even if he was lying out of his _ass_.

Today, he had woken up and immediately went (almost ran) into his living room, thinking that she would be gone and so would his whole refrigerator along with his expensive television set. The thing weighed a ton and he had laughed to himself, _she couldn't lift that thing, what am I thinking?_ He was so paranoid, he thought, that he didn't even know what possessed him to make an offer like this one. It could've been Remus' face that looked so grateful when he made the request that had kept him from taking it all back. It could be, as he watched her still from his balcony that overlooked a beautiful view of downtown Los Angeles, that he was just a little curious about this Evans business.

Many guys whispered about her, _to_ her behind their girlfriends' backs. Guys who had fucked her talked about it among each other, laughing and reminiscing about what a good fuck she was. After all the talk, you'd think she was the queen of Kama Sutra, at any rate. Guys who hadn't had a go at her secretly wanted to. They were curious. They heard all of the talk and yeah, maybe _sometime_ in the past, Evans looked desirable but looking at her, a little bit on the 'too skinny' side for James and the known fact that she got drunk and high most of the time, kind of turned him off.

Still, he was curious in a _non_ sexual way.

That's what he told himself as an opening in the blanket he'd wrapped around her peeped at him. He couldn't help it, though. His gaze traveled to that spot where one leg slid out from under the blanket and the small muscles there went taut and then relaxed. James knew Evans wasn't in any sort of sports and so the only way she could've gotten that muscle was if…

_Don't even go there, James… _

He swallowed and turned his back away from the rej--… _girl_, lying on his couch, out cold.

_Out cold from drugs, no less. _

_You're not into that kind of thing, James. _

_She's not your type._

…

"Bella," Sirius called out to the brunette's back, "Will you _bloody_ hold on a second?"

The brunette didn't turn to face him but stopped in her tracks.

Sirius came to stand in front of her. "What the hell is your problem, woman? I've been calling your back across _two_ football fields and the tennis courts!"

Bella glared at him. "Can't you take a _hint_?"

Sirius's eyes flashed. "Can't you ever be the good little girl that you were when you were _nine_?"

She gaped at him, upset. "Listen, I haven't been nine in ten _years_. I'm a… _woman_! Okay? Understand? I haven't been a _good_ little girl in a very long time."

Sirius's eyes darkened and he narrowed them at her. "What's your _bloody_ problem then?"

"Nothing!" She shouted angrily, gaining some shocked looks from people walking by and Sirius himself. She said more quietly, "Nothing, okay? Stop riding me!"

She started to walk away but Sirius grabbed her arm, pulling her around. "I'll ride you all I want. Your James's little sister and I…"

She interrupted him. "I'm not little anymore, Sirius. Get that through your arrogant, thick headed, I'm-too-sexy, _annoying_ skull. I'm old enough to dance with whoever I want, go to parties and… and _fuck_ whoever I want, okay? Just because you haven't gotten any in… I don't know… how long has it been? Fifteen hours? Thirteen? That doesn't mean _I_ can't have any fun either."

"That know-it-all prance…" Sirius started but was again interrupted.

"…Is good-looking, rich, has a good reputation and _wants_ to go out with me tonight." Bella said. She gave him a once over before pushing past him again, muttering, "Which is more than I can say for _some_ people."

Sirius turned and watched as she stomped across the campus upset. He frowned, trying to understand what she had just said and what the meaning behind it was. He shook his head and looked around at the people casting awkward glances at him.

"What?" Sirius asked, feeling a little more than hostile, "What are you looking at?"

…

Remus entered the Shelter and looked around.

Some people waved to him and he smiled back.

There was the main den that held a big round desk with people on phones and other people doing paperwork. Some of the people from the streets stood in lines, letting the desk people know their situation. Offices outlined the main floor around the main desk and there were stairs going both up and down to other floors that probably held beds, clothes, and food.

"Remus," A voice said from behind him and he turned to see a woman in her mid forties holding a few boxes trying to maneuver around people. She had her brown hair messily up and she wore a green sweater with faded jeans and boots. If anybody saw her, they wouldn't think she was married to one of the richest men on the West Coast. No sir e.

"Mrs. Potter…" He said with a smile and immediately assisted her with some of the boxes.

"Thank you," She said gratefully and pointed to the stairs going down. "This is extra clothes we were able to actually buy from Goodwill. We're just going to store them downstairs for when winter comes."

Remus nodded and he led the way down the stairs.

…

Downstairs, he set the boxes down next to the rest of the boxes and turned to Annette Potter.

"How are you, Remus?" Annette asked, smiling and looking around at their work.

Remus nodded. "I'm alright. How about you? How's the shelter holding up? I haven't been able to come down and help."

Annette shrugged. "It's going. There are always people looking to have more clothes, more food… a place to stay."

"Yeah, I have one more test to study for and I should be back here helping you."

"Well, the help is always needed. Especially when _winter_ comes… there'll be a _lot_ more people piling up in here, looking for a warm place to stay." Annette answered, leaning against one of the boxes. "I just wished my kids found some time to get down here and help out the community." She shook her head, laughing a little. "They're happy with their toys though."

Remus shrugged. "I don't know about that…"

She gave him a look and he smiled. "Ooh, Nick loves to spoil the kids. Has ever since they were born."

The younger man looked at her. "And you let him?"

"Well, what can I say, really?" Annette asked, "Sorry, honey, you have to make them live how I lived growing up?" She shook her head. "All you can do is try and hope for the best that they grow into compassionate adults."

"James is compassionate." Remus stated, looking away.

Annette laughed a little. "Yeah, when he knows someone has a toy in equal quality to his own. I love my son but even I know what he is and what he isn't."

Remus looked at Annette. "James and I found Lily passed out in Thompson Hall…"

Annette looked alarmed. "Oh my… how is she? Is she in the hospital?"

He shook his head. "No. She wasn't out that bad. I checked her. It was probably some form of pill. They wear off in a day or so."

"Where is she?"

"At James's."

Annette raised an eyebrow. "And James let that fly?"

"He offered."

The older woman looked surprised. "Wow."

"Yeah, I didn't push for it or anything." Remus explained. "She's still at his apartment."

James's mother gave Remus a sideways glance. "And he's not going completely crazy that she might steal all of his stuff?"

He laughed. "No, but I think that's just because she's _sleeping_."

Annette slid down the boxes into a bending position, her eyes gazing the floor, thinking.

"Anyways, I just thought I'd stop by and let you know."

Annette nodded, still gazing at the floor. "Thank you. I worry about her." She glanced up at Remus. "I've been telling her that we can get her life under control but…" She shook her head. "I guess there's only so much you can do for a person until they want the help."

"And use it," He nodded. "When I see her, I'll tell her to stop by."

Annette nodded. "You can tell my son to stop by some time too."

Remus chuckled softly, already walking toward the staircase. "Will do."

…

Lily winced when she tried to open her eyes. Her head throbbed and her stomach lurched a bit. She groaned, wishing she hadn't woken up. She noticed, though, the feeling of something warm and big against her usually cold skin. Her eyes opened fully and she ignored the way they hurt when she did. Glancing down, she saw a big comforter thrown over her and as her eyes traveled across the room, she gazed, shocked, at a balcony overlooking downtown L.A.

She sat up and looked around, wondering where in the hell she was. She wasn't in Thompson Hall, not at Valentine's place, and not at Lucius'. Someone must've picked her up somewhere and brought her here. The problem was that she didn't think she knew anyone who lived in this nice of a place that would trust her to sleep there. She wondered how long she'd been out.

She stood up and noticed a chrome clock with a Roman numeral face. It read 5:40. Glancing out the balcony with the doors wide open, it was definitely evening. She was in awe for a moment at how beautiful the city lights were when the sun was setting against the glass skyscrapers. It was amazing.

A noise distracted her and she glanced behind her, seeing no one. She narrowed her eyes, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. She hoped to God whoever picked her up hadn't fucked her in her sleep which would constitute as rape. It wasn't like she hadn't been there before but that kind of shit was messy when it did happen. She walked slowly toward the source of the noise around the corner, picking up a bat as she went.

She peeped around the corner.

No one.

The noise was coming from one of the rooms.

She slowly made her way down the hall, gripping the bat tighter. With any luck, she'd surprise the bastard and get one good hit to the head, grab their car keys and make a run for it. She'd been in fights with girls and guys before and she could be pretty vicious. Leaning close against the wall, she heard shuffling of things and with one deep breath, she turned into the room, bringing the bat up high before striking the person putting stuff away on his bare back.

"Shit!" The person shouted, turning just as Lily was about to take another swing.

Lily stopped in mid air when she saw who it was.

"James _fucking_ Potter?" She hissed, even though in her mind she was reeling with shock.

"Yeah, what the hell did you hit me for?" He asked, clearly irritated, rubbing the bottom half of his back.

"You kidnapped me, you fucker!" She yelled.

…Wait, why did he kidnap her?

"I didn't kidnap you." He said angrily, grabbing the bat out of her hand and feeling the wood for any cracks. "Jeez, do you have any idea how much I had to pay to get this bat in its condition?"

"Hell if I care." Lily answered. "What the hell am I doing at your place?"

Did he rape her in her sleep?

She would kick his ass if he did.

Although if he really wanted to have sex, he should've just woke her up. She would've jumped _him_.

He groaned, rubbing his back and glaring at her. "Remus and I found you in Thompson Hall high off of drugs and passed out."

"And what?" She hissed upset for reasons she wasn't sure of, "You decided to play _super-fucking-man_?"

"Hey," He countered, "I didn't know where Remus wanted me to take him. I could've just left your high ass passed out on that bed, if I wanted to."

"Why didn't you?" She asked, turning and he followed her out, close behind her.

James frowned angrily at her. Wasn't she supposed to be on her knees…? I mean, wasn't she supposed to be thanking him for saving her? Not _bitching_ about it? Something was off there and he shook his head at her when she turned to him, her _amazing_ emerald eyes _blazing_ at _him_ in anger.

"Didn't want to ruin your _goody_ reputation and let the _reject_ and _slut_ of the campus _die_? You wanted to be a hero, hmm?" She asked, poking him in his bare chest.

James Potter was definitely one of the sexiest guys she'd ever seen half naked. His stomach muscles rippled with his rapid breathing and his shoulders flexed as they moved up and down with the force of his breathing. His forehead was creased a little as he frowned at her in irritation, his hair which was always messily done was scattered short over his forehead, and his lips were full but pursed and his jaw muscles worked furiously under the skin there.

"No." He said, leaning into her. "I'm just a nice _person_. I don't let people _die_."

Some of her anger subsided. She was really just shocked that she ended up in _James Potter's_ living room, on his couch and in his apartment. It seemed surreal. Like she was in Heaven or something and God just knew that one of her fantasies was of James coming to her rescue after one of her stunts with some guy. But, in her dreams, James was usually looking down at Lily with love and adoration. All she saw in the _real_ James's eyes was disappointment and irritation.

And all she felt was shame and a headache.

Obviously, this wasn't Heaven.

"What do you remember last?" James asked, sighing and backing up and putting some distance between them. He'd never even _talked_ to this chick before. Sure, he'd seen her at parties and had heard some of the guys joking about her, but he'd never said a _word_ to her. What right did she have hitting him with his own bat in his own home when _he'd_ done something _nice_ for her?

She seemed reluctant to answer but sighed, too, and said, "I remember hearing you and Sirius talk shit about me." She laughed dryly, "But then, I guess, that's not something new."

Despite her trespasses against him, James felt a pang of guilt. He remembered at Valentine's party when Sirius had asked what kind of man he was and James's response to that. _I guess I'm the kind of guy that's a realist, **especially** after her show tonight._ Could she really blame him for saying that? I mean, look where she was _now_. He'd been right. Looking at her, though, he knew she wasn't blaming him, just stating something that was true and hurtful.

"Um…" She continued, frowning and looking at the floor, "I remember Damek standing over me in the bathroom."

"What were you doing in the bathroom?" James asked and received a glare. He put his hands up. "Okay, fine, don't tell me." He paused. "But, I bet the more you remember, the more we can use to take down Damek so that he won't do this to you again." Not that he thought it might help her, any. _She_ was still screwed up.

"What do you even care?" She snapped, feeling her defenses strengthen. He _hated_ her, she just _knew_ it.

"I obviously care enough to let you sleep on my couch." He snapped back.

She stopped.

Nothing ever went the way it was supposed to. Her life had been wonderful before… she shook her head from _those_ thoughts and looked up at James who sighed and looked around, waiting for something to happen. She felt sorry for being so rude to him but she didn't know any other way but to lash out. She wished she could tell him that but having those kinds of conversations would mean allowing someone in. Looking at the disappointment and disgust etched in James's face let her know that he wasn't the one to open up to. Part of her, an old part, felt sorry for herself and sad that he wasn't the one. She wanted it to be him.

"Look," She started, struggling with her words, "I'm…"

He looked at her and she swallowed, forgetting what or how she was going to go about this whole thing. How did she and James ever end up in the same room together? _Because he's nice and you're just a bitch_, a voice said that sounded like Lucius' in her head. She completely agreed with that but wondered why it was Lucius' voice that said that instead of her own or someone else's.

"Can you just not spread this around that I ended up here?" Lily finally asked, knowing that's not what she previously decided she would say to him but knew she couldn't utter any words of thanks or sorry. It had been a _long_ time since she'd been in this kind of position and she doubted she'd know where to start.

He scoffed, obviously upset. "_My pleasure_."

"Good," She said, feeling the anger boil in her stomach at his tone. "It'd be sick if there were rumors about _us_ having sex together."

He frowned at her. One minute she was angrier than _hell_, the next she was vulnerable and hinting that she was actually _human_, and then the next, she was trying to bite your head off. Who the hell _was_ this girl?

"Alright, so can you tell me where the nearest bus station is?" She asked, shifting on her feet. The quicker she got away from James, the better she would be. He was making her feel ashamed and she had enough of those feelings on her own.

He quirked an eyebrow in her direction. "Can you actually _afford_ a bus ride?"

She stared at him, her jaw ticking in her mouth. After a second of glaring at one another, she turned on her heels and stormed to the door. "Fine, I'll find one myself." She muttered, opening the door and starting to walk over the threshold.

James, however, walked (almost ran) to the door and grabbed her arm and made her face him. "Look, I'm sorry…" He said quietly, looking into her eyes. "I shouldn't have said that."

She snaked her arm out of his grasp, feeling her arm tingle at the contact. She rolled her eyes and looked up at him. Boy, he was really tall. And muscular. And clean and well fed. And _beautiful_. Gawking at his gorgeous looks from afar was pretty nice, but James was definitely enticing up close and personal.

"I can walk you to the bus station…" He offered, although she could tell he was wishing she'd decline.

She forced a smile and knew it looked crooked. "I can handle myself. I'm a big girl."

If someone had told him she'd said that, he'd laugh and say, 'Yeah, right…' But, he knew he couldn't do that. Plus, it wasn't like she was stumbling all over the place, mumbling incoherent sentences like he'd fear she'd do when she finally woke up. She _seemed_ sober and normal. Although what she was wearing screamed _I want to be raped!_ He held up a hand to keep her where she was and he disappeared around the corner.

She sighed but was curious about what he was having her wait up for. She thought by the way he looked at her; he would've shoved her out the door in two seconds flat. She couldn't blame him though. The way she was dressed, the way she smelled most definitely repelled guys like James who probably preferred their women in only the new designer clothes and the newest scents from… whatever the nicest smells were these days.

Her eyes widened when he appeared again, holding up a really nice looking black pea coat jacket.

Okay, so she did _try_ to keep up on the latest fashions. It didn't always coincide with her "other" life though.

She looked between the jacket and him. Her mind was screaming to take it and her hands were twitching to do so but she couldn't let him see that side of her, especially after what he'd done for her.

"What is this for?" She asked slowly.

He shrugged, obviously trying to be casual. "I figured you might get cold… or something."

She shook her head. "Look, Potter, if this is some warped, _twisted_ way of trying to be all charitable…"

He shook his head, pushing the jacket up against her chest. "It's not. Just be graceful for once in your life and accept a gift, okay?"

She narrowed her eyes. "What do you know about…?" She stopped when she felt the jacket pushed harder against her chest. Her hands grabbed onto it and he let go, giving her a meaningful look. He stepped back and with one more second of gazing into her eyes, he closed the front door softly, leaving her to stand in the hallway, alone and confused.

* * *

**A/N:** Is Lily getting a _little_ better in people's eyes? Haha… probably not. She's rude, guarded, and snappy. I know it's the third installment and Lily doesn't seem to be lightening up. That's because we're looking at her through James's eyes who has no _clue_ why Lily is the way she is. If you caught it, while we were looking at things through Lily's perspective, she didn't start off the way she is now earlier in her life. There was something that snapped for her, consciously or subconsciously, that pushed her down the road of self-destruction. If you're interested in what that is, come back! 

And the relationship with Sirius and Bella adds more to this AU, in an attempt, on my part, to make it more real for the readers. What do you think of this idea… adding Sirius and Bella's drama to the mix? Does it work for the story?

And what do you think of the introduction of James's mother, Annette? She'll become very important in later chapters.

Now, will all you do me a favor? LOL… review, please? O:)


	4. About Giving Back and Favors

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** Giving Back

**Chapter Began:** Friday, January 12, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Sunday, January 14, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Monday, January 15, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Warning:** _Very_ mature. You've been warned.

**Warning 2: **This chapter implies drug use and uses strong language. If you are offended, please do not read this chapter.

**Author's Note:** One quick note… this chapter became unexpectedly long so if you have other things to do, it's probably better to do that first before reading this chapter. I'm told it reads quickly though so I don't know…

I want to thank everyone for reviewing the last chapter. I appreciate all kinds of reviews :)

_Crissy: LOL it's a lot easier to type your name than the Lady Crimson… Thank you for adding my story first to your favorites list. And I agree with the most girls being bitchy at some point in their lives. And I'm going to try to achieve the right kind of balance with James/Lily and Sirius/Bella. There's little to nothing S/B in this chapter though._

_cori (anonymous review): To answer your question, "Did Lily get raped and then that's why she changed?" … The answer is no. That's not how she changed. Everyone will find out soon._

_Also, LilyandJamesLover, Rubina, Eve1980, kit49, Brittney, rockstar-101, Jasu, PotterChick958, Jenny (anonymous review), wolfy (anonymous review), and jillybean90 -- thank you for your time and reviews!

* * *

_

**Chapter Three: Giving Back**

_Tell me, do you see that old lady, aint it sad_

_Living out her bags_

_But is glad for the little things she has_

_And over there, there's a lady_

_Crack got her crazy_

_Guess she's given birth to a, baby_

_I don't trip and let it fade me_

_From outta the frying pan_

_We jumped into another form of slavery_

_--- Tupac Shakur_

Lily fingered the black pea coat thoughtfully as she rode on the bus, watching the city buildings go by in a blur. She could smell James on the coat and she hugged it closer, inhaling the scent as if it were air to her insides. He had given her something. It hadn't just been _something_. By the strong scent in the coat, he gave her something he seemed to wear a lot, something valuable to him. No one had done that in a very long time. The only things she received as gifts were drugs and alcohol, and sometimes a place to stay for a night or two.

She thought back to waking up in James's apartment and then speaking to James for the very first time. It had been less than desirable to have him know her by being the girl he rescued from getting high and the girl who attacked him with his own bat and then hadn't even thanked him afterward. He probably felt robbed or something. Maybe he didn't even remember her anymore. _Yeah_, over the course of a couple hours…

She hoped it wasn't either of those. The way she acted toward him in his own apartment made a stab of guilt poke at her insides. She should've thanked him when she had the opportunity, when he was obviously waiting for it. Now, she probably would never even get a shot at walking within fifty feet of him because of the way she acted toward him. The one person in the entire world she wanted to approve of her was disgusted with her. She couldn't blame him.

She'd seen him at parties glancing at her, trying not to be conspicuous. She'd try to catch glances at him but for very different reasons. She shook her head, standing up from her seat and walked to the front of the bus when it came to a halt in front of a shady building. It was the Backroom.

Most people thought of a building called the Backroom as a nice restaurant with the best chicken tenders and fries for many blocks around. The people that lived in the shadows of downtown city streets knew the Backroom as the true underground market for drug trafficking, booze, and explicit sex. People went there when they were seeking "tokens", or points added to their underground reputation to use and get what they wanted.

Lily knocked discreetly before the door was opened for her and she stepped inside. The place was smoky with marijuana, the stench dense in the air. There were a few lamps lighting the hallways of the inside and in small kitty corners, people snorted cocaine. Lily looked away, swallowing and trying to stop her hands from twitching. She made a beeline straight for the staircase and walked up it, dodging high couples laughing and stumbling down the stairs.

She turned the corner and then another before kicking the door open to Damek straddling some girl. Damek quickly pushed himself up when he saw who it was and was immediately backed against the wall until Lily brought a hand up and punched him square in his jaw. His head flung to the side with the force and Lily ignored the pain in her wrist.

"Fuck you, Damek, fuck _you_!" Lily spat harshly and took another swing.

"Lily! Wait, hold on one fucking second!" Damek said desperately, holding up his hands to his head.

"You fucking drugged me without telling me, you cock sucker!" Lily shouted and backed up a little.

"Please, Lils… you…"

"I don't want to hear your excuses. You know my boundaries, Damek, and you fucking crossed the line. When I tell Lucius what a fucking _pussy_ you are…" Lily said but was interrupted by his laugh. She narrowed her eyes at him and stepped closer, poking his chest violently. "What the hell is so funny?"

Damek shook his head, trying to keep from laughing some more, "You." He looked at her. "There are no boundaries in this world, Lils. You decide to take drugs; you better fucking know guys like me are going to take advantage of that. You were already high off your mind. The only difference was that I added a little _push_ and you _could've_ been dead. Those are the risks you take."

"Don't fucking preach to me about _worlds_ and shit, Damek. I had…"

"…And don't bother trying to tell Lucius to come after my ass. He was the one who thought you might need a little reminder." Damek interrupted, grinning like an idiot.

Lily stopped and stared at the floor.

"He thought you might be getting too comfortable in this life and I guess he wanted someone to smack you back to reality." Damek leaned in close to Lily, "That you're just a piece of shit… you're nothing just like all of the other girls in this fucking place. Just like…"

Lily clenched her jaw, anger boiling uncontrollably. She kicked out and landed her boot in his groin, making him groan loudly and fall to the ground on his knees, holding himself. She took a deep breath and glanced at the bed where the girl rolled over. Lily was about to just walk out of the room when she caught a glimpse of the girl's face.

It was James Potter's fucking younger sister!

Whatever heat was left in Lily's body fled and her body turned cold. She glanced down at Damek who still cupped himself, groaning.

"What the _fuck_ is this?" Lily spat. "You _raped_ Potter's little _sister_?"

Damek was too much in pain to answer her coherently. "No. I… she…"

Lily held up a hand to silence him and walked over to the bed and swore softly. She checked the younger girl's pupils which weren't wild. They were just glazed over a little. No one drugged her, she just drank too much. Judging by half the clothes being on (the most important half) Damek wasn't lying, which was good for him because if she saw that he was, she could've very well have possibly killed him right then.

"Bella…" She whispered, tugging at the younger girl, hoping she hadn't gotten the name wrong. It was some Bella, Stella, Belle girly name. All she knew was that this was James's sister and the girl was drunk and not hardened well enough to deal with people in these kinds of places. _Especially_ the Backroom where people assumed that if you were in there, you knew what you were doing.

The younger girl groaned a little and her eyes opened groggily. "Hmm?"

"You need to sit up." Lily whispered gently, trying to help her sit up.

"She was in here… I thought she was just…" Damek explained, the pain subsiding just a little.

"_Shut the fuck up!_" Lily spat, turning her head viciously toward the man on the floor still. She turned her head back to Bella sitting up and holding her head.

"My head hurts pretty badly…" Bella explained, laughing and then frowning, obviously regretting it. "Where's Kyle? He said he'd be back soon…"

"I don't know, but you're drunk." Lily explained and helped her out of the bed, supporting her under one arm. "We just need to get you into some fresh air… and get you some water…"

Bella nodded, obviously not willing to argue when she felt so out of it.

They walked out of the room, leaving Damek still on the floor.

…

James stared at the painting on the wall while everyone else in the room moved to the next painting. He had been conned by Sirius into going to a late night dinner party and a tour of the art museum in Sirius's uncle's mansion. Earlier that day, after Lily had left, James had went about cleaning the comforter that Lily had been sleeping with for the last day or so and even went so far as to scrub every last bit of her out of his futon. He knew he was being crazy but Lily smelled _bad_ of drugs and booze. James didn't want anyone to think anything if they smelled "the smell."

About an hour after he was finished, Sirius had called him and even begged him to come to this dinner party that his uncle was holding in honor of an alliance between Sirius's uncle and a long time rival on the East Coast. James had planned on declining as soon as he got the feeling that Sirius would ask him but was bested by Sirius's honesty and genuine need for someone to be there with him.

The story was that the daughter of his uncle's rival would be moving to Hollywood to pursue her career in acting. Sirius and Caitlen had a bit of history with one another and he was reluctant tonight to be left alone with her. When the two men entered the party, James had suspected she would be beautiful like all of Sirius's conquests, but when James met her, he was taken aback by her intelligence, her cunning and confident style that made an outstanding package _along_ with her beauty. James now understood Sirius's fear.

Caitlen O'Hara was a dangerous woman to a man like Sirius.

Over the course of the meal and pleasantries, James and Caitlen's eyes had met many times. To a man like Sirius Black who naturally liked his woman beautiful but light and fun, James could see immediately why this woman scared him. She was smarter than most men but not in the brainiac way. She was cunning; a spark of manipulation and a man would be doing somersaults without knowing exactly why.

She was sensual. This was every man's dream for a one night stand. This was not, however, Sirius's dream.

"Do you like this painting?"

James glanced away from the painting he'd been staring at blankly and looked into the dark brown eyes of the woman Sirius had tried to avoid all night but a woman James found himself immediately attracted to. He gave a half smile and started to walk to the next painting, noticing that the group was already halfway around the museum. He drank at the wine he was holding.

"I don't know."

Caitlen nodded and walked with him slowly to stand in front of the next painting. She tilted her head a little bit. "This one is refreshing." She caught James's gaze. "It's almost like… sex."

James choked on his drink and laughed unsure and gave her a sideways glance. "Excuse me?"

The woman leaned in discreetly toward James. "Meet me later on tonight."

She gently grabbed his hand and in the guise of shaking his head, James felt a paper crush against his palm. Her eyes held his steadily and lustfully before her hand fell from his. He immediately put that hand in his pocket, placing the paper there before pulling his hand out again. One last moment of a heated gaze before Caitlen slowly backed up and then turned around to trail behind the group.

James stared after Caitlen with interest.

_Completely different than Shauna…_

_**Very, one hundred percent** different than **Evans**. _

…

Lily handed Bella the glass of water and awkwardly looked away when Bella began to take gulps of it. She shoved her hands in her jean skirt pockets and bit her lip. For some reason, Lily had found extra dollar bills in James's coat and had been able to put her and Bella on the bus back to the campus. They made their way across campus silently and Bella had directed them to undergraduate housing and then to her dorm room.

Her roommate was gone somewhere so Bella had invited Lily in and then Bella had changed into her pajamas.

After a second, Bella had whispered, "Thank you." Lily had nodded not knowing what to say so she had remained silent. When Bella was curled up in her bed and Lily was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, Bella had quietly asked for a glass of water. Lily had quickly moved herself into action, wanting to do anything to get rid of the awkward feeling so she had immediately obliged Bella's request. She had tried to ignore the dirty glances her way and curious looks when she had opened the door to Bella's room. Everyone knew that _Bella Potter_ lived in that dorm room and everyone was curious as to why _Lily Evans_ had any business in there.

"Why, er… didn't you push Damek off earlier tonight?" Lily asked, awkwardly.

Bella's eyes met Lily's. "Why don't you ever push the guys that fuck _you_ off?"

Lily nodded, knowing she deserved that.

"Besides, I was um… kind of drunk when he came in." Bella defended herself. "I thought he was Kyle."

Lily remained silent.

"Why did you help me?" Bella narrowed her eyes curiously at the confusing girl standing in the middle of her dorm room. She _really_ wanted to know why this girl was wearing her brother's expensive jacket but figured that if she asked right away, she would get nasty words and a cold shoulder. Lily Evans was known for stuff like that.

The older girl shrugged. "I recognized you. I knew you wouldn't intentionally end up in the Backroom and so I just… I don't know, I reacted." Lily clenched her jaw before giving the girl on the bed a look, "Don't take it personally."

Bella shook her head, shrugging and not missing a beat, "I wasn't."

"Good." Lily said quickly, a bit harshly and immediately regretted it.

Bella frowned up at Lily. "What is your _problem_? I try to have a civil, decent conversation and you can't even do _that_. You're like… ice woman or something."

Frustration boiled at the surface inside Lily. "I don't know why you are trying. You haven't _ever_."

Bella sat up, anger evident in her features. "Well, maybe it's because every time I see you, you're curled up in a corner high off your _mind_ and having _sex_ with some guy!"

Lily stopped.

Bella scoffed. "Sorry for thinking that after you… you _helped_ me tonight that you might have _some_ human qualities. I was just trying to be _nice._"

Lily remembered earlier that evening James's words: _I'm just a nice **person**. I don't let people **die**._

She frowned and suddenly couldn't take any of this. How did she end up talking to _two_ Potters who she'd never had a conversation with in her _life_ in one fucking _day_? How did that even _happen_? Was whoever controlling the universe _trying_ to trick her into thinking she could get out of her life? She already had had one Potter telling her she could make it out since she'd gotten to this university, she didn't fucking need _three_.

She turned and started for the door. "I'm sorry, I can't be here…"

"What? Where are you going to go now?" Bella called out after her, upset. "Back to that place to get high and drunk so that my mother who has been on your behind for, Gods… I don't know? A couple of years? You're going to go get high and drunk so that she can see your name in the obituary tomorrow morning?"

Lily turned back to the other girl with tears in her eyes. What the hell was wrong with her today?

"Go." Bella said angrily. "Thanks for saving my life and all. I thought maybe that you might be alright but I guess you were only doing it for…" She paused, narrowing her eyes, "Why _were_ you doing it?"

Lily gritted her teeth, trying to fight back the tears. "I already told you."

"Oh… because you _recognized_ me? Because you have a thing for my _brother_?"

Lily didn't answer but Bella didn't seem to want her to as she stepped out of her bed and walked over to Lily who breathed in deeply.

"I know that's my brother's coat you have on. I'm not _stupid_." The younger girl's eyes shot daggers at Lily. "You don't have a shot with my brother, Lily Evans. He likes his girls _human_. _Feeling_. You're just like I thought you were. _Scared_."

…

James rushed out of his car to the undergraduate dorm rooms later that night. He knew he looked like a mess but as soon as he had gotten his sister's quick message about being in trouble earlier but then someone helping her out, he immediately rushed out of Caitlen's loft apartment. His tie was gone and his dress shirt was still half unbuttoned because he hadn't had time to button it up on the way to his car.

He pushed the door open and ran down the hall and began knocking furiously on Bella's dorm room door. He kept knocking with no end urgently before the door opened and his hand fell forward. His hair was more disheveled than normal and as his sister's eyes gazed over him with shock, he knew she would come to the answer on why. _Plus_ his sister's message.

"I came over as quickly as I could…" James explained, walking into Bella's dorm room.

Bella frowned at her older brother before closing the door and rubbing her eyes. She leaned against the door tiredly.

"What happened?" He asked, turning to her. "You said something about…"

"I'm fine now." Bella whispered, "I think."

"What happened?"

His younger sister glanced at him before pushing herself away from the door. "I made a mistake tonight. I… Do you remember Kyle?"

James frowned. "The one Sirius told me about?"

Bella narrowed her eyes. "Sirius told you about him?"

He didn't answer.

She shook her head, "Never mind. Anyways, Kyle took me downtown and he told me there was this party or whatever being held at this place called the Backroom."

James's eyes widened. Apparently he knew about the Backroom.

"I just thought it was that restaurant we go to sometimes on Friday nights…" She tried to explain.

He shook his head. "Yeah, that's not the place."

"Well, I know that now." Bella said, irritated. "Kyle left me in this room. Someone came in and…"

James looked at Bella and his jaw clenched, his eyes angry. "What happened?"

"Nothing!" Bella said quickly. "Nothing. This guy… I thought he was Kyle but…" She shook her head. "He was some other guy. Lily called him Damek or someone."

"Lily?" James frowned.

Bella nodded. "Lily Evans."

"_Evans_?" He sat down on the edge of one of the beds. "Evans was there?"

Bella bit her lip and reluctantly said, "Yeah, she um… she got me out of there and brought me back here."

James looked up again, surprised.

His younger sister nodded and came to sit next to him on the bed. "Yeah, she's… she's hard to have a normal conversation with."

Her brother didn't reply, just stared straight ahead. She could see his jaw ticking.

"Although," She said softly and slowly, "You might know a little something about that too."

He looked at her, confused.

"She was wearing your jacket." Bella slowly stood. "Now, either Lily Evans _stalks_ you and knows where you live and _broke_ in and _stole_ your _favorite_ jacket or… she was over your apartment and _you_ gave it to her."

"Bella," James started but she held up a hand to silence him.

"Look, I don't really want to know about my brother's personal life. But, I'm just telling you to be careful." She said.

James shook his head. "It's not like that though."

She shook her head. "Like I said, I don't even want to know."

He nodded and looked down.

…

Lily shivered a little as she settled herself against the brick building of the café. She could've gone back to her dorm room at Thompson Hall but too many people knew she lived there. She wasn't in the mood to get high, drunk, or even fuck anyone. She just wanted a night of peace. She could never achieve that outside where the wind picked up a little and her legs gathered goose bumps from only having a skirt on. The jacket James gave her was a gift from Heaven because it mostly kept her upper body warm. Now if only she had pants, she could maybe sleep for a couple hours before the _real_ chill of the night woke her.

Her stomach grumbled loudly and she clenched her jaw. She was hungry beyond reality _belief_. At the water fountain in Bella's dorm hall, she had taken many sips before and after filling Bella's glass. She could go without having food for a while but water was a different story. She needed that or she wouldn't be able to function, even when she wasn't high or drunk.

She thought back to her conversation with Bella Potter. The girl was everything Lily used to think she'd be someday and the girl she wasn't and knew she could never be now. Bella had everything going for her. An amazing mother who wasn't just financially wealthy but compassionate and loving. She had an older brother that would do anything for her, protect her from _anyone_ even if it'd been Bella's fault in the first place. She'd seen that brother's protection up close when Lucius had once tried to make a pass at Bella. It was strong.

Bella was really pretty and could get any guy, undergraduate or hell, even a grad student if she wanted. She was going to go and travel the world with some really handsome man who adored her and loved her because she _was_ so beautiful and graceful. She'd marry a rich man and that man would want her to have his children because she was healthy and everything a guy like that could ever want.

Annette Potter was an amazing woman, Lily thought, but when she had told Lily that she could have what her daughter has, she was damned near out of her _mind_. Lily could never get what Bella had. Maybe earlier in her life when things were smooth, when nights weren't filled with fear, and days weren't filled with hunger and thirst. Maybe earlier in her life when her father had still been alive… when her mother had still cared and when she hadn't had a half-sister or stepfather who took her whole life away from her, leaving her with nothing but a plan.

No, Annette was probably the craziest, most positive thinking woman Lily had ever met. That woman put her soul into Lily's shaky life. She had bet her career at the school for Lily to attend Percy Academy. Annette had put her reputation on the line and from other mothers, had received dirt because of Lily. The other mothers on the Committee urged Annette to pull back her support behind Lily but she continued to fight for the younger woman.

Lily owed Annette everything.

That's why Lily had helped Bella earlier that night. She recognized Bella as James's younger sister, sure, but that was her savior's daughter lying on that bed, drunk. She couldn't have walked away from Annette's daughter if someone had told her that they would save _her_ from the life she was living and give _her_ all the fortunes in the world. Lily would live this life a thousand times over before she would leave _Annette Potter's_ daughter to the hands of nasty men like Damek.

"Evans." A familiar voice said quietly above her.

She sighed. She really wasn't in the mood to play games or to do anything serious. She just wanted a couple straight hours of sleep and maybe, she'd ask someone nice to lend her some money to get something to eat at the café tomorrow morning. The voice was male and she knew she would decline the offer to lend drugs for sex too. That just wasn't in the picture tonight.

"Fuck off," She murmured, closing her eyes without even looking up to see who it was. She didn't really give a shit _who_ it was as long as they left her alone.

"That's no way to speak to someone who let you sleep on their couch earlier…" The voice muttered frustration apparent in his voice.

Lily's eyes immediately opened and flew to the gorgeous hazel eyes of her dreams. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

James shrugged, glancing around. "Is this where you sleep every night?"

"No." She replied stubbornly, aware that she was hugging his jacket closer to her.

He didn't hide the fact that he noticed and smirked. "Guess my jacket that you were about to decline to take earlier came in handy…"

"Fuck off," She answered but inside, she agreed. It was a lifesaver. She was still chilly but she would be _cold_ if she hadn't had his jacket.

He made no move to leave though. "My sister told me what happened earlier."

"So?" Lily raised her eyebrows, "I already told her it was nothing."

He considered that. "Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't…"

"Look," Lily said, sitting up, "I really haven't had anything to eat in a very long time and I'm starving because of it. I tried to drink as much as I could earlier but it's still not enough. I'm aware that I slept a lot at your place but I'm still tired as hell so could you pretty, pretty please leave me alone to sleep?"

She kept her gaze even with his and he stared into her eyes. He was struck by the hint of pleading in her voice and a wild look she had that told him she was serious. She _was_ really tired, hungry, and thirsty. He frowned; shoving his hands in his pockets but couldn't make himself move. She was intriguing to him but he couldn't figure out why.

When she saw that he wasn't going to go away anytime soon, she huffed and leaned back against the brick again, closing her eyes and hugging his jacket closer to her upper body. She could feel his gaze on her and it made her shiver a little. Why the hell wasn't he leaving? He'd… _sort of_ thanked her, _kind of_ for his sister but that didn't seem to be the reason he confronted her like he did. When she couldn't take his eyes boring into her, willing her eyes to look at him, she opened her eyes and opened her mouth to say something harsh to scare him away when he spoke first.

"Come with me."

She closed her mouth and stared at him blankly. "_What?_"

"My car is right around the corner. Come with me." He said, backing up a little but keeping his eyes on her.

She frowned. "_Why?_"

He stopped and didn't seem to know the answer to that.

She laughed, dryly. "Look, you're a pretty hot guy and all, and any other night, I would let you fuck me but not tonight, okay?"

He stared at her and then shook his head, "No, I don't want you to let me fuck you. I just want you to come with me."

She shook her head, "Not without a reason, I won't. I've met guys who have told me to come with them and then they try some freaky shit." She shrugged. "Sorry, Potter, I'm not really down for freaky shit tonight. Maybe some other time."

He realized her defenses were up. He'd only talked to her twice and he recognized when she was being cold on purpose already. Of course she would think that he wanted to have sex with her. She probably wasn't lying either when she'd said that guys had told her to come with them and then surprised her with something unexpected. How to make a girl like Evans believe that he just wanted to talk, to let her eat and drink and sleep without her thinking he wanted anything else was tough work.

But what else would a guy like him want from a girl like Evans? She wasn't entirely wrong about that either. A guy like James didn't just tell a girl like Evans to come with him to eat, to go back to his place innocently without wanting something in return. But, he _was_ just asking her to come back to his place to eat. _That's all_.

"Please, Lily…" He whispered, realizing _his_ voice was now pleading a little.

She frowned at him. This was the first time he said her first name.

"I promise I won't try anything." He said slowly. "I just want you to come with me back to my place just to eat, just so you can sleep without being cold or worrying about anyone sneaking up on you in the middle of the night."

_So he knew about that, hmm? _She thought to herself.

"If I try anything, you can tell everyone whatever you want." He said and realized though that no one would believe her and so that was a useless argument. He saw that she noticed this and said quickly, "But I won't. Can you just… can you just trust me?"

Her eyes widened and she thought about this.

She'd never seen James Potter force himself on a girl before. She doubted he was capable of something like that. He was a nice guy. He was fucking gorgeous and could have _any_ girl he wanted _without_ trying to force himself on a girl but he was still _nice_. She saw the genuine concern in his face and that disgusted look that she remembered him having been there wasn't. That relieved her and her eyes softened a fraction.

He obviously saw this and held out his hand for her.

She looked between his hand and his eyes before she grabbed onto his hand and he pulled her up. They stared into each other's eyes before she quickly let go, knowing she felt tingles at their brief physical contact. She tried not to stare at him for too long and so she glanced away quickly and they began to walk toward his car, parked on the corner.

"One thing added to the agreement before you go to bed though," He said.

She glanced at him, fear evident in her features and she stopped.

He gave her his handsome half smile and stopped too. "You have to take a shower before you sleep on _any_ of my furniture."

She stared at him and he gave her a full blown smile; his intention with that comment obviously not to hurt her but to kid around with her a little. It had been a long time since someone felt or seemed comfortable enough to tease her and she smiled at him, her first real smile.

He narrowed his eyes, staring at her with a weird expression on his face before it quickly disappeared. She punched him lightly on his shoulder and he laughed, the moment gone.

"But I'm serious though," He started again, "Eat first. Shower second. Sleep third."

"Thank you, Sergeant…" She snapped and he looked at her but she smiled again and he laughed, shaking his head and stepping into his expensive car. She looked up to the sky, struck suddenly by the clear view she had of the stars above. The moon was almost a full moon and it shone brightly over the grounds of Percy Academy, and made the trees cast shadows on the pavement near James's Lexus.

"Thank you, God…" She whispered before opening the passenger car door and stepping into the car.

* * *

**Author's Note:** What'd you guys think? This was a pivotal chapter. Or that last scene was very important to the development between James and Lily, I was afraid I'd kill it. No Remus or Sirius in this chapter but there was so much that needed to happen in this chapter that I kind of excluded them. They'll be in the next chapter. These chapters are really just about establishing the important characters in this story, J.K's and the ones I've created. I wanted you guys to get a good sense of who these characters were through their words, but actions especially, i.e. Lily helping Bella at the Backroom.

A new character was introduced (I know, I know). Caitlen will be very important in much later chapters, but for now, she'll kind of float in and out. Annette will be in more chapters coming up because through all of the talk of the relationship between Lily and Annette, I haven't shown you guys their dialogue together yet. That'll happen very soon.

Pay attention to the next chapter closely because it's another important installment that talks about Lily's previous life and Lucius' role in her life now. James was very nice in offering Lily a place but he really doesn't have a clue why he's doing what he's doing or what he's getting himself into. That'll play into next chapter too.

Stay with me, alright? We're getting deeper!

And please LOL... review:)


	5. About Silences and Revelations

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title: **Revelations

**Chapter Began:** Monday, January 15, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Saturday, January 27, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Saturday, February 3, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Warning:** _Very_ mature. You've been warned.

**Author's Note: **This chapter came to me a bit late and it was harder to write this one, for some reason. I do want to thank all of the people that have reviewed: mnz, jenn, hpisthegreatest, sapphirenights, Eve1980, Aria Sparks, Untamed Loner, Jay, Fan, LaughingManiac, Crissy, MyMusic, Isolde Eris, lily-shark, Jenny, yoink, rockstar-101, Dementedtearz…

**Chapter Four: Revelations**

_Runaway love,_

_Runaway love_

_Runaway love…_

_-- Ludacris_

James sighed as he settled in his king size four poster bed. He'd turn the lights off as soon as he entered his room and changed in the dark. He usually slept in the nude but with Ev—_Lily_ in the next room, he'd decided to keep on his boxer-briefs. If he'd had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, he didn't feel like stumbling around for something decent to cover himself with in the dark.

And that's right, he was reminding himself to call her by her first name as she requested. They agreed on some terms on the way back to his apartment from the campus. One of those terms would be to refer to each other (no matter how hard it was) in the first person. Normally, he'd just shrug off stupid terms like that and resume his normal attitude but Lily had said she had never liked her name before but when _he_ said it, she loved the sound of it.

There were no fuzzy feelings when she'd told him that, just his ego was boosted a little. He simply liked it when _that_ happened.

Earlier, he had made them both some macaroni and cheese, nothing special… but the look on Lily's face when she saw a huge pan full of food was priceless. It made him smile when he turned back to the stove to put the rest of the milk and butter in. He'd put the pan out on the middle of the table and had excused himself to go to the bathroom. When he came back, three quarters of the macaroni was gone and Lily seemed to be gobbling down more.

James was very protective of his food. Ever since he was younger, he and Bella would fight over who could eat the most, the fastest. Even now, he was competitive and protective of people stealing his food but when Lily did it, he just shrugged it off after a couple of seconds and dug in to what little she left him. When he asked if she wanted bread, he swore her eyes got brighter just simply at the question. He watched though, as she tried (with difficulty) to compose herself when he handed her the loaf of bread. She took two and when she finished with that, she tentatively asked for another. He allowed her to and she gobbled that down. When she was finished, he couldn't help it… he actually _liked_ to see her happy at the prospect of food so he offered ice cream for when she finished with her shower.

There were no harsh lines in her face, no coldness, nothing but a content Lily in front of him when he offered. She nodded and quickly made her way into his bathroom behind him where he explained how to use the dials on his shower. He counted maybe _two_ snappy remarks about knowing how to use a shower but they were so petty compared to her attitude toward him that night that he merely shrugged it off and left her so she could shower for the first time in days.

He'd paced his apartment, trying not to act like he was just guarding his possessions and after a few minutes, decided to make himself useful and clean up the extra room a door away from his bedroom so Lily could have a place other than a couch to sleep on. He made the bed for her and threw an extra big comforter over the top just in case she got cold.

When he walked out of the room, he saw Lily emerging from the bathroom in the big t-shirt he had lent her so she wouldn't have to wear the clothes she'd been wearing for days. He gulped, looking at the clean Lily with pink in her cheeks from being slightly warm from the heat in the apartment. Her legs were thin but muscled and she stared at him until his eyes met hers.

"Where are the pants I gave you?" He had asked, trying to keep his eyes on hers.

She had held up the pants and shrugged. "They were kind of too big for me." She had frowned confused, looking down at herself. "Why? Does this not cover enough? I thought it would. I mean I could…"

"No!" He'd said quickly. She had looked at him surprised and he offered a small smile and said more quietly, "No, that's fine."

He had cleared his throat and turned his back away from her, shaking his head and trying to clear his thoughts of Lily's shapely legs. He had turned back to her and suggested they dig into the ice cream before going to bed. Her frown had immediately disappeared and she'd waited for him to get their ice cream on his couch.

They had eaten ice cream in silence with James on the single chair with his feet propped up and Lily on the futon, leaning her arm against the wood with her feet tucked under her. After they had finished, James had taken the bowls and when he'd returned, Lily was looking out over the balcony and she'd softly commented that she remembered views like that one. He'd remained silent before suggesting they go to bed.

And so here James was in bed, unable to sleep, not because he was scared that Lily would take all of his stuff but because he was curious about her. He wondered why people turned out the way she did, and what she meant when she'd said she remembered views like the view from his balcony. James usually shrugged off comments that hinted at something deeper because he really just liked to live at his own pace, his own level but Lily made him want to know what her meaning was. What _all_ of what she said meant.

The way she dug into the macaroni and cheese earlier so happily, so innocently made James gain a different perspective on Lily. She'd hardly snapped at him tonight because she'd had everything she needed without fear of it being taken away. She was almost like a child when he had suggested ice cream after their dinner, her eyes going alight with happiness.

When she'd come out of the bathroom from the shower, she'd looked healthy. The other night when he had told Remus he'd bring her back to his place and when he'd seen her in her sleep, he thought (knew) that no one ever seen her defenses down like she was when she was asleep. He _definitely_ knew, _without a doubt_, that no one had seen her _truly_ smile, look _truly_ happy while _awake_. That just didn't happen with Lily Evans.

But it had tonight and rolling over and closing his eyes, James wondered why he was intrigued with making that happen again.

…

James woke to the sound of loud knocks on his front door. He groaned and his eyes opened a little to look at his digital clock by his bedside. It was 9:43. He frowned, wondering who the hell was banging on his door at nine in the morning. He reluctantly threw the covers off of him and slowly slid out of bed, rubbing his eyes clean of sleep before he made his way to his bedroom door.

While on the way to the front door, he glanced in the extra bedroom to see that Lily was not in bed or in the living room. Hearing the water run in the bathroom let him know that she was still there and she hadn't run away with half his belongings. He smiled when he realized that she probably loved the feeling of taking a shower. He shook his head and looked in the peephole and groaned, tempted _not_ to open the door.

"James Michael Potter, I know you're in the there!"

He sighed and a brief fear of Shauna walking into his apartment to Lily walking out from a shower flashed through his mind. He couldn't just sit behind the door and pretend he wasn't home though. So, he made a quick decision. He opened the door and just as soon as Shauna started to yap, he closed her mouth and walked her backwards so that they were both in the hall. He gently closed the door so that he wouldn't be locked out.

"What is _this_?" Shauna asked angrily. "Why are we out in the _hall_? Do you have someone back there?"

"No!" James said quickly and realizing that they both knew he was lying, he amended, "I do, and they really need their sleep."

"Who is she?" Shauna asked, trying to sidestep James to get into the apartment.

"It's not what you think." James tried, stepping in front of her. It _wasn't_ what she thought but how would he explain _Lily Evans_ being in his apartment?

"It's never what the girl thinks and then it turns out _exactly_ what the girl thought." She said, her voice rising like it did when she became hysterical. "James Michael Potter, are you _cheating_ on me with another woman?"

A brief thought of him just saying yes and being rid of her crossed his mind but that's not the way he wanted things to end between him and Shauna.

"No, I'm not." He said, trying to sound reasonable and calm. "My cousin is in from Arizona and she really needed a place to stay."

"You have a cousin?" Shauna frowned.

_Yup, but she lives in Atlanta and I can't just change where she's from now plus she never talks to me anymore._ "Yeah, we're really close so she doesn't like to see anybody the first day she's back." He gave a nervous laugh. "She's kind of awkward that way."

Shauna tried to pick apart James with her eyes and when he didn't give any indication that he would crack, she merely shrugged and said, "So, I never told you what happened that night when I met Chris Amiet…"

…

Lily wrapped the towel around her and looked in the mirror after her long morning shower. She had missed the feeling of being clean. She'd gone without it for so long that she forgot what it felt like to feel refreshed and renewed. She had thought about waiting until James woke up to ask him if she could use his shower one last time but she thought if he'd said no then she probably would've done it anyway. Besides, she didn't think he'd said no because he seemed to like her more when she showered. She liked _herself_ more when she showered.

After brushing her teeth for the tenth time with the brush that James gave her and specifically told her was hers from here on out, she turned and walked out of the bathroom. Walking past the front door, she noticed the door was opened ajar and she heard voices on the other side of the door. She immediately recognized James's voice and crept closer to hear who the other person was.

She rolled her eyes when she heard that screechy, fake voice that she immediately knew as Shauna Williams. She forgot James dated fake Shauna and she almost felt bad for him. She was about to laugh softly to herself when she heard the next part of their conversation.

"So, when will your cousin be comfortable with visitors?" Lily heard Shauna say, obviously trying to be seductive.

Lily frowned. _Cousin… so I'm his **cousin**?_

"Uh…" She heard James stammer. She rolled her eyes. "Well, I'll have to talk to her about it."

"Well, let me know…" Shauna purred and there was silence before she heard a sigh.

Lily tried to leap away from where she'd been as the door pushed open and she saw James close the door and lean against it with his eyes closed. When he obviously felt her looking at him, he opened his eyes and their gazes locked. Lily was very aware that she was just in a towel and for the first time in a long time in front of a guy, she felt self-conscious.

"So, your cousin, hmm?" Lily asked, trying real hard to keep the edginess out of her voice. She didn't know _why_ she felt the need to yell at him especially after everything he'd done for her already.

James sighed. "How else was I going to explain you?"

That stung Lily and she stood still while he pushed himself away from the door and walked out of the living room. She felt tears sting at her eyes and she tried furiously to blink them away. She wiped at her eyes and her jaw clenched. After a couple of seconds of trying to compose herself enough, she walked out of the living room.

…

She was mad at him.

He didn't know why but something had happened that he wasn't aware of.

He snuck glances at her while he drove and she looked out of the window in silence.

Back at his apartment, after he'd put on some clothes, he walked out to find Lily in her normal street clothes… the jean skirt and the black heels and _that_ shirt that barely covered anything. During the course of cooking them breakfast, he'd gotten the feeling that something was wrong but without her snappy remarks, he'd thought maybe she just didn't feel like talking.

While he maneuvered around in his kitchen and she sat there, looking through one of his car magazines silently, he'd tried not to sneak glances at her. An outfit so unattractive merely hours ago was incredibility sexy on her now. He'd try to shake his head clear of any thoughts involving the word 'sexy' and 'Lily' in the same sentence but he always came back to it. Maybe it was because he knew she was clean, that she'd showered. Maybe it was because she'd eaten and hadn't been bitchy to him in hours. Maybe it was because Lily Evans _did_ have an amazing body, a beautiful face and gorgeous hair and all it took was a shower, food, and a place to sleep for her to get him to realize any of those attributes.

It began to frustrate him, for reasons he didn't know, when she quietly said thank you for the pancakes he'd set out in front of her. Evans _never_ said thank you. What the hell was _wrong_ with her? He'd grumpily sat down and they ate in silence. All the way out to the car, James wondered why Lily was so quiet. It wasn't a peaceful quiet. There was tension there that irked James beyond belief.

Now, as they pulled into the Shelter's parking lot, he caught a glimpse of Lily's profile, her jaw clenching. Something was definitely up.

"Just drop me off at the front." She said shortly.

He drove past the front entrance.

She glared at him. "What the _fuck_ was that?"

He pulled into a parking space and turned the ignition off. "We both need to go in there so we'll go in there _together_."

She unbuckled, angrily and opened the door. "But how the fuck will you _explain_ me?"

James paused and she slammed his car door on the way out of the car. He swore under his breath before stepping out of the car and shutting his door. He glanced ahead to see that she was already halfway to the entrance. He followed her.

"Don't slam my door!" He called after her as she opened the entrance door.

"Fuck you," She called behind her without looking back.

The door slammed shut in his face by the time he got to it. He sighed and opened the door and walked in.

…

Lily worked the paint furiously in the pan before splashing it on the wall and rubbing it in. She went over the wall with the liquid many times and she repeated the process. She was embarrassed and angry all at once. She had stormed all the way down to the basement where she'd found Annette and Remus working on the boxes there. James had stormed down after her and they had had some heated words in front of his mother and best friend. Lily had requested that she work away from the group and Annette had obliged her request.

She was furious with James. He really had no idea what was going on. He just thought that this was her life and that it'd always been like this. Well, _fuck him_. He didn't know _shit_ about living in the real world. He was spoon fed everything in his life.

"So, are you upset or do you just _really_ want to do a good job for me?"

Lily turned her head to the kind voice and smiled when she saw Annette smiling at her. She shrugged, "Both, I guess."

The older woman nodded and motioned with her hand for Lily to follow her. Frowning, Lily put down her tools for paint and followed Annette into a separate room that Lily recognized immediately. It was her and Annette's favorite room. She sometimes snuck in here between jobs for Annette to think and to look around at all of the people that had gone through what she was going through now and that had passed on to a better life.

"Do you remember when we worked on this room together?" Annette asked, looking around at all of the paintings, writings, and drawings of different people that had come and gone to and from the Shelter.

Lily nodded quietly.

"Do you remember what you said to me when we finished?" Annette looked at Lily affectionately. She really felt like Lily was one of her children. She'd helped many people, helped herself, but Lily had been someone she'd go the extra mile for. She just wished Lily would do that for herself.

"I said," Lily whispered softly, slowly, "That you were going to see me in this room."

The older woman nodded and turned to the other woman. "You can still do that, Lily. I'm going to be here for as long as I can."

Tears flowed down Lily's cheeks. "I know…"

"All the opportunities in the world can knock at your doorstep, Lily, but they're nothing unless you answer them." Annette whispered before turning from the room and walking out, leaving Lily there to cry alone.

…

It was five o'clock.

Finally.

James walked up the stairs with an extra bounce in his step at the prospect of leaving the Shelter. He'd been downstairs the whole day in the basement, packing things from the summer and taking things out for the winter. His mother had conned him into staying and helping out and who was a good son to refuse his compassionate mother? He wished it was him.

He entered the dust filled room and fought the urge to sneeze. He blinked a few times and looked across the room to see Lily and another guy he'd never met before laughing and seeming to have a good time. Something unfamiliar poked at James's insides at seeing the two, who obviously knew each other very well, laughing and teasing one another. This time, he fought the urge to growl.

"Lily," He called tightly across the room, "It's five. Let's head out."

Lily and the other man stopped laughing slowly and looked over to James who came to stand near them, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Lily noticed the way his jaw clenched and what previously made her laugh for the first time that day slowly sunk away and she felt upset again.

She shook her head. "I promised your mother that I would help out a lot this weekend."

For some reason, James didn't want her up in this room anymore. Hell, he didn't want to be there either but the feeling took him by surprise. And who the _hell_ was this other guy making Lily smile and _laugh_? She didn't ever laugh and here she was, laughing and… and _flirting_ with this guy, who she didn't even introduce…

"Yeah, but who's going to bring you home?" James asked, careful to keep out any hint of emotion in his voice as if he cared.

Lily's eyebrows rose. "Home?"

James nodded and looked at the other man.

The other man was black, tall, and handsome. He seemed nice but immediately raised his eyebrows at the dark look in James's face. He was surprised already at the way Lily and James spoke to one another and he didn't want any trouble so he extended his hand with a laid-back smile. "I'm Jordan."

James nodded and shook Jordan's hand. "James."

Lily glanced between the two men and then settled her gaze on James, anger filling her gut. "What the _fuck_ do you want from me?"

The two men looked shocked.

"First, you've never talked to me before this. Second, you do something nice for me but then it's like you want me gone and then the next minute, you're practically begging me to get in your car to go home with you! Your girlfriend shows up and you don't even know me and now you're asking me to go home with you again?" Lily breathed in heavily and shook her head. "_Fuck you!_"

She didn't understand James and he was making her head hurt. She stepped back and ignored the confused look that Jordan was now giving her and the surprise and hurt that was regretfully emanating off of James. She really needed to get away from _all_ men to get healthy. No matter how much guys tried to help her, they just seemed to make things worse.

She didn't even bother looking back before she walked out of the room, leaving the confused men to stare after her.

James felt like he was frozen to his spot. He heard Jordan whistle and he slowly turned his gaze to look at the other man. The way she had yelled at him just then reminded him oddly of a time when he had done something wrong in a store and his mother had reprimanded him afterward. He shook his head, swore, and followed Jordan to the window where the other man bent down and retrieved a water bottle.

"So," James started awkwardly, "How, um… how do you know Lily?"

Jordan shrugged. "This, I guess. You?"

"I, um, found her passed out." James explained.

The darker man rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Lily needs to get out of that." He shook his head. "It's hard though."

James gave him a sideways glance. "Do you…?"

Jordan raised his eyebrows. "Do I do drugs and sleep around? No. But, I'm in a similar situation as far as the money situation goes." He frowned. "You're Annette's son, right?"

James nodded.

Jordan nodded as well. "Yeah, you have a really great mother."

"Yeah…"

Jordan looked out the window. "Lily's not so lucky, you know that?"

James shook his head.

Jordan paused and took a gulp out of his water bottle.

"Her parents split up right after she was born. She went with her father; her sister went with her mother." Jordan started to explain.

James shrugged. "I know plenty of parents who've divorced…"

"Her father died when she was twelve."

That shut James up.

"I don't know… she doesn't talk about it much but he had some disease and she took care of him for a while. Social Services found out and put her across the country here to live with her mother, her sister, and a man she was supposed to call Dad." Jordan shook his head. "I don't know much of the detail but I know enough that she and the step-dad didn't click. He did some things to her and she ran away to Lucius."

James paid closer attention. He didn't trust that guy as far as Lily could throw him.

"I don't know what you rich people know about Lucius but in the underground, Lucius isn't someone you want to have beef with. He's got money, power, and influence. Love and all them fairy tales don't make a difference in the underground. He and Lily got pretty close, or as close as you can get with a bastard like Lucius. She tried to run away to Lucius a couple of times but her mother and step-dad always found out."

James shook his head. "Why didn't she want to stay with her family?"

"Haven't you been hearing me, playboy?" Jordan asked and James shifted on his feet. "Lily and the step-dad smashed heads. He got into some wild shit with Lily and she didn't want that. She tried to tell her mom but her moms I guess was so far into this guy, no one believed her. She ran away a couple of times but was sent back by the police every time. She runs away again to Lucius, step-dad tracks her, they get into huge fight, _pop pop pop_, the end."

"_Pop pop pop?_" James frowned, confused.

"Killed." Jordan said dryly.

"The step-dad?" James asked, dumbly.

"You see Lily and Lucius walking around, don't you?"

James stared at the ground and then he looked up. "Who fired the shot?"

Jordan shrugged. "No one knows except God, Lily, Lucius, and the step-dad. Two of them, we can never talk to, to find out. Lily has never told anyone who and you know we can't count on Lucius to spill anything that would ruin his glory apron."

"How did my mom find her?" James asked.

"Same way she finds everyone." Jordan said, looking away and then laughing, looking back at James. "You've been having sex with Lily and you don't know all of this stuff?" He shook his head again, looking away, obviously disappointed, "It's men like you that make women like Lily do what she does."

"What's that supposed to mean?" James was in the mood to argue and he didn't mind taking it out on a guy he'd just met.

"Calm down," Jordan whistled, "So touchy… and I guess you're not denying that you're sleeping with her, now are you?"

"I'm not sleeping with her." James said defensively. There was no way a guy he'd barely just met was accusing him of being a man that takes advantage of a woman.

The two men stared at each other for a couple of seconds before looking away.

"Good…" Jordan said. "Maybe you can do something nice for Lily."

"Like what?" James didn't really want to do something nice for Lily. Yeah, okay… he _did_ and he was really sorry about her past but it didn't set her apart from him or _anyone_ else that had gone through crap in their lives. He'd done some things he wasn't proud of but he still woke up in the morning and decided to try and make the right decisions. That never changed and he still couldn't understand Lily or _anyone_ in her position that didn't seem to _try_.

"You figure it out, playboy, and come back and let me know."

…

James sighed when he stepped into his car.

He wasn't in the mood now to argue.

"I thought you were going to stay here and work a lot."

James turned his head to look at Lily sitting in the passenger seat looking straight ahead.

She didn't look at him. "I need some place to sleep, don't I?"

He rolled his eyes as if to say _whatever_ and put the key in the ignition and started the car.

They drove away in silence.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry it took so long to get this one out but I got really busy with school and other stuff. I don't know exactly when I'll be able to post the next chapter but I'll try to get it out as soon as possible.

I like reviews and if you like my story and this chapter, you should review:)


	6. About Arguments and Aspirations

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Arguments and Aspirations

**Chapter Began: **Monday, February 12, 2007

**Chapter Finished: **Tuesday, February 13, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Wednesday, February 14, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Warning:** _Very_ mature. You've been warned.

**Author's Note:** I want to thank everyone who reviewed. I will list all of the readers after the story with any questions answered and such due to this whole thing already taking up much of my first page.

**Chapter Five: About Arguments and Aspirations**

_You never had someone_

_That's all about your needs_

_You never had someone_

_That always do you properly_

_You never had someone_

_To give you what you waiting for_

_--- Avant_

James rebounded the leather ball and threw it back out to Sirius who took another shot.

"… and so while you're still with Shauna, you ended up back at Caitlen's apartment?" Sirius asked, frowning and catching the ball again for another shot which hit the back of the rim and bounced out. He and James switched positions.

James shrugged. "I figured I'd be honest with you."

"I appreciate that, mate." Sirius shook his head. "I have no real designs for the sex siren though."

"You mean…?" James asked, squaring for a shot and sinking it in.

His best friend nodded, passing it out. "Yep… Caitlen and I are through for good. Besides, I think you're right. You two did seem kind of connected a couple of weeks ago."

"Nah…" He wouldn't be a good friend if he didn't deny that there was something between him and his best friend's sort-of-ex-girlfriend. He knew there were sparks between him and Caitlen but with Shauna still in the picture and Lily… _still_ sleeping in his apartment, it was difficult to say if anything could come of it.

"Ooh, shut your bloody gob about this topic, Prongs. You're a terrible liar."

James smirked.

Sirius frowned though, immediately. "So, what's this I hear about you harboring Evans back at your place?"

James's smirk faded slowly and he cleared his throat, shrugging. "She needs a place to stay. I guess what she's involved in is a little more complicated than we all realized. It's nothing." He ended that with a shrug and tried to ignore the look Sirius gave him and took a shot.

Sirius grabbed the ball and held onto it, looking seriously at James. "Have you gone completely _wankers_? That girl is a bloody bomb waiting to explode and she _will_ in your very nice, very _expensive_ apartment."

The other man sighed and walked off the courts, grabbing his water bottle and taking a seat on the bleachers. His gaze traveled away from his best friend who walked to stand next to him. He watched a few of the kids that lived down the street enter the cage with their gear in tact ready for a game.

He looked back at the raven haired man and said softly, "It's really nothing."

"_Nothing_?" Sirius asked, incredulously. "What if she steals all of your belongings? I won't be listening to you whine about how you two fucked good and hard but then she ran away with all of your stuff---"

James immediately felt anger rise in him. "We are _not_ having sex."

Sirius didn't look like he believed him. In fact, the man standing up snorted in laughter. "You two aren't… oh, for _bloody_ sake, I thought your whole statement about not shagging girls who are trashy was just for show but this is really gone _too_ far…"

"I'm serious… Sirius." James said evenly. He shook his head. "Lily and I aren't… together like that. _Nor_ do I want us to be…"

Sirius stared at James for a couple of seconds before nodding slowly. "So, you're telling me… a girl like Evans with the reputation that she has for being a reject _but_ the best fuck on _campus_… with her in your apartment, _ten_ feet away from your bed… you don't _want_ to shag her?"

James looked at Sirius, evenly. His eyes flickered with something but he held it back. The fact of the matter was that Lily looked more desirable as the days went on. She'd been at his apartment for a couple of weeks now. She hadn't done anything ridiculous; she didn't even go to _class_. Sometimes, he'd come home to her gone but when he woke up in the morning to go to class or fulfill his duties as T.A, he'd check in on her to see her snoring softly away in her sleep in the extra bedroom she occupied.

After that day at the Shelter, they had slowly come to a peaceful, quiet agreement of sorts. They hadn't talked about what had angered them both so but it had worked for them so they just slowly allowed their communication to return with time. James ignored the feelings of guilt and Lily seemed to ignore him altogether at times. She still only wore the clothes she'd always worn, washing them almost every day. It made him feel sad, sometimes. They were the only clothes she had.

"She's misguided." James said, tightly. His jaw was clenching. He couldn't tell Sirius he didn't think of running his hands down Lily's muscled legs or grabbing her and kissing her to shut her up when she started cussing at him because they both knew it'd be a bold faced _lie_. Of _course_ he wanted to do Lily. Although, she still wasn't the kind of girl that he would admit to anyone that he desired. He didn't think she was that kind of girl for _any_ guy.

"Misguided?" Sirius raised an eyebrow. "But you would shag her?"

James didn't say or deny anything right away and Sirius let out a "_aha!_"

"I'm not going to, though," James quickly said, frowning. "She doesn't seem to know what she wants, or how to get anywhere. Sure, if she cleans up a bit, she's---"

"---_Fucking hot?_" Sirius finished for James and off the other man's look, said, "I happen to think the same thing. Doesn't mean I'm quick to offer her a room at _my_ place or anything though. That's all _you_, mate."

"Look," James said, closing his eyes for a minute before opening them again. Talking so openly about having sex with women… more specifically, _a_ woman who was definitely _sleeping_ in his apartment who _wasn't_ his girlfriend was awkward and frustrating for James to say the least. "There will be _no_ screwing around, no having _sex_, no… _'shagging'_, as you so eloquently put it, between Lily and I…"

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "So, it's _Lily_, now hmm? Not '_Evans'_ or 'the _reject_?'"

James clenched his jaw. He wanted to shove Sirius for being so thick-headed and not _listening _to him. "We agreed to call each other by our respective first names. You call Bella by _her_ first name and I don't see you wanting to have sex with her." He missed Sirius shifting uneasily on his feet. "It's the same way with _Lily_ and me."

"Yes, well…" Sirius said, seemingly eager to change the subject now. "That's good for the two of _you_. When should Remus, Bella, and I arrange bets for the two of you to hop the sack like little eager bunnies?"

James stood up, brushing off his shorts before snatching the basketball out of Sirius's hands. "_Puh-leze._ I'm telling you that it's not _ever_ going to happen. I like my girls with _passion_---"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Ooh, Evans has got _plenty_ of passion, alright---"

It was James's turn to roll his eyes. "Not _that_ kind of passion, Padfoot…" Off of Sirius's look, James amended, "Well, yeah, _fine_. But, I'm talking about a _future_. I like my girls to want to go somewhere, _be_ someone. To have _direction_." James shook his head. "Lily has none of that and I doubt she ever will."

…

Lily hummed as she moved about in the living room, rearranging the furniture and dusting off the entertainment center. She left the doors to the balcony wide open because there was a light autumn's breeze outside. For once in a very long time, she didn't feel like cowering in a corner, shivering and hugging herself because she was freezing. She felt warm and at ease.

This morning, she'd opened her eyes to the smell of bacon and French toast. She'd allowed her nose to lead her into the kitchen where she froze at the sight of James in just his boxer shorts. She'd blinked a few times and when he'd turned to her and grunted something about getting the juice out of the refrigerator, she'd had to pretend like she had actually heard exactly what he'd said. In truth, she was reeling at the muscular sight before her.

Many times during their breakfast, she caught herself imagining and daydreaming their breakfast a bit differently. In her daydream, she and James had just woken up from a morning filled with many sexual favors and even _cuddling_, something Lily was _not_ familiar with. During this daydream breakfast, they fed each other and sent each other hot looks across the kitchen table that told of desires and passions just waiting to be fulfilled.

"Lily?" Her daydreams had been interrupted by James standing up after he'd finished his breakfast. She'd shaken herself out of it and snapped at him as usual. Inside, she'd recoiled from herself at her rudeness but hadn't stayed too guilty for long because he'd then told her that he would be gone for a few hours and warned her to be careful. Part of his "be careful" speech was because he didn't want her running away with his stuff but she sensed he really meant those words and she never knew how to react to them so she just proceeded along, snapping at him and disliking herself further for her obvious lack of consideration.

Before he left that morning, he'd told her that if she wanted to be useful, she could clean the mess that was beginning to pile up from her days of sitting in front of the television and ordering food out. He'd told her that if she cleaned the mess, she could rearrange his furniture whatever way she liked and that he'd come home with Chinese food, one of her discovered favorites.

Moving the furniture in a way that she stopped to admire, she wondered if Lucius or Damek had gone out searching for her. Ever since James had given her an invite into his apartment off campus, she hadn't spent more time on campus than she really needed to, other than going to the Shelter to help Annette out with the upcoming banquet. She wanted to go to Lucius but looking around at what was at her fingertips… food, James's big, good smelling shirts, showers, and a comfy bed… she didn't really have a need to go to Lucius just yet.

Still, if she continued to avoid the campus for long, she knew that Lucius would send out and look for her. People would start to talk. She nodded despite being alone. She'd have to go pretty soon, but not today. Today was about pretending that she lived somewhere. She missed that feeling terribly and she hadn't known how much until she appeared to have it again.

She knew it wouldn't last long though.

James was bound to kick her out on her ass like she deserved.

She knew he wouldn't right out say she had to leave because he was really too nice to do that but she'd know when her time came when she had to leave. When he stopped offering food for free, when he stopped the little nice things he did for her, like last night when she was chilly in her sleep and he'd gone in to check on her and she felt him pull the covers up higher for her… when _those_ things stopped, she would leave and she would be grateful. But until then… she would take what she could get.

The sound of keys against the front door made her jump and she spun around to see James walking in, sweat plastering his t-shirt to his skin. Mentally, she frowned in distaste when she realized the shirt wasn't white so she could see his corded stomach muscles. On a more obvious note, she was embarrassed because he walked in to find her cleaning his living room like he'd advised earlier, but the small problem lay in the fact that she only wore panties and a bra.

"James," She breathed.

His hazel eyes darkened when he turned to her and she saw him swallow.

"Do you like?" She motioned to the living room, lamely.

His eyes didn't shift from her. "Interesting way of cleaning…"

"Right," She began playing with her hands. She mostly did that now when she talked to Lucius and she knew he could see past her lies but playing with her hands now had _nothing_ to do with the fear of someone discovering her lies and secrets. This had to do with the heat forming in her belly at the dark look James was sweeping her with and the throbbing in _much_ lower regions. "My clothes are in the washer and dryer, you see. You know how I only have those clothes? Yeah, well… um, I have to wash them every day for them to stay clean and…"

James nodded and scratched his head, looking away finally.

Lily stood there, lamely, in only her panties and bra, waiting nervously for James to just kick her out now. It should be coming soon, she just _knew_ it. He had a girlfriend and she, being the thoughtless bitch that she was, was parading and _humming_ around in his living room when anyone of his friends or girlfriend could walk in and start making assumptions. Someone should just shoot her _now_.

"Look, James, I'm really sorry for---" She started but he held up a hand, looking at her briefly before sweeping his gaze around the living room.

"It looks really nice in here." He said quietly.

_Oh, sh---what?_

"Really?" She frowned.

James nodded and pushed himself away from the door to observe what she'd done with his place. The way she arranged his furniture allowed for more room within the same space and better access to the entertainment center and an even more gorgeous view from one of the sofas. He was impressed.

"Yeah, I really like it." He said, offering her a small smile.

Lily tried to keep the happiness down to a minimum but having James tell her he liked what _she'd_ done with one of his rooms in his beautiful apartment and having him smile at her like he was just caused her to smile back and blush crimson red.

"Although," He said slowly, backing up a little and examining the table to the far right, "I think the table could be used over here." He pointed to the corner closest to him and he saw a flicker of disappointment and then thought in Lily's eyes.

She nodded. "Yeah, I didn't really know what to do with that table."

"It's fine, we can move it." He walked over and easily grabbed the table and moved it to the other corner. They both stood back in silence, admiring the way the room looked. James smiled from ear to ear. "Perfect."

Lily nodded her agreement. She'd spent half the day cleaning out the trash she'd created during her stay at James's and then the other half figuring out the best way to move the furniture around. Her stomach grumbled and it was then she noticed James hadn't walked in with the Chinese food he'd promised. Disappointment and a spark of anger erupted in her belly before she could stop it. She was hungry and she'd wasted her day cleaning his apartment because he'd promised her food. If he wasn't going to follow through with his promises then what the hell did she waste the day cleaning for when she could've been out searching for food?

Her face turned hot as she tried to contain and hide her anger. A part of her brain chided her on not getting angry at James because he didn't follow through with a promise of _Chinese food_ but she really just couldn't contain it. She clenched her jaw and her smile wore off almost immediately. The happiness at James's approval was quickly replaced by her annoyance and frustration and _hunger._

"So, thank you for doing this…" James's voice cut into her thoughts.

Her head snapped to him and she pursed his lips together, fighting an urge to shout in frustration so she turned away from him.

"Yeah, whatever," She bit out.

She felt an arm on her shoulder and she whirled around, shoving his hand off of her body. Her angry eyes met his confused ones as she felt the heat from his touch cool. He was still hot and sweaty from out playing basketball down the street.

"Don't fucking _touch_ me," She snapped.

He frowned at her, lifting his hands in surrender. "Whoa, what's the matter with you?"

"Nothing!" She snapped again. Her stomach was growling and it _hurt_. "Why the _fuck_ does something have to be wrong with _me_? What about you?"

He gaped at her. "Well, seeing as I'm the one who _just_ walked in the door and wasn't the one who _just_ did a complete one-eighty from happy to _pissed_, I'd say something _is_ wrong with you and _not_ me."

"Well, fuck if I care," She sniffled, trying hard not to cry in front of him. Most people would say it was just food that got her upset but the disappointment, the _let down_ of not getting the food really just caught her off guard. Explaining that to someone like James was unthinkable. He wouldn't understand.

"You _should_ care." He said defiantly. "If it involves you and what makes you tick, you should figure it out and deal with it. Not get pissed at the person caught up in your anger."

Lily stood still for many minutes, trying to avoid the heated look James was using to stare at her. Inside of her, she knew he was right. She should tell him what was wrong, figure it out and talk it out instead of lashing out at the person unluckily involved. She took a deep breath and tried.

"I thought…" She said and stopped. James was looking at her intensely now. "I thought you said you were going to bring food when you came home."

Sneaking quick glances at him from the corner of her eyes, she saw him freeze and catch his breath. He stood still and watched her through narrowed eyes for a long while. He was actually starting to make her shift uncomfortably on her feet. She felt ashamed for demanding something he wasn't obligated or responsible to give to her. She was nineteen years old and she _should_ be able to provide food for herself but the undeniably _sad_ fact of it all was that she _couldn't_. She felt like a child and she probably looked like one at that moment but being really hungry made her _not_ care.

After more than thirty seconds of silence, she watched James burst into a fit of laughter. The guilt and shame of her outburst quickly dissipated and she felt renewed anger at his obvious shrug off. She was fucking _hungry_ and he was fucking _laughing_ at her for it! Fuck _him_!

Her eyes blazed with rage and she could do nothing but turn on her heel toward the front door. She heard his quick footsteps behind her and just as she was about to reach out and take the knob and twist, she felt him spin her around. She pounded her fists into his chest as he tried to control her outrage. This wasn't a matter of hunger for a couple of hours… she'd been hungry for _years_ and having someone, James of all people, laugh at her for it… it hurt.

She continued to beat her fists into his chest angrily until he had full control of her arms and held them closely by her side, leaning down and looking her straight in the eyes seriously. She refused to look at him and he didn't say a word until she would. She did, reluctantly and vaguely was aware of how close they were. His nose was almost touching her nose and she could feel his breath on her lips, coming in soft, assured puffs.

"Is that really what you're upset about?" James asked, slowly.

She rolled her eyes like she could care less. She knew he could see past that.

He gently pried his fingers off of her bare arms. "Because if that's what you're upset about, you just wasted your anger for nothing."

"Is that so?" She spat.

He nodded, stepping back. "I invited Remus over for dinner and _he'll_ be bringing the Chinese food. He should be over any time now."

Relief hit her like feathers caressing her face. It felt good. Then… she just felt like an idiot.

"Oh…"

"Yeah." He said. He walked over to turn on a lamp and turned to her with a smug smile on his face. "You know, Lily… how many times do you get angry and tell no one what you're angry about?"

She didn't reply but he didn't seem to expect her to.

"How many times have you not told anyone and lost possible friends because of it?"

She looked at him finally and sneered. "And you just think you're a godsend, hmm?"

He shrugged, the smile not wearing off just because she found her voice again.

"Listen, James," She shifted on her feet, painfully aware of the fact that his gaze was sweeping across her half naked body in the event of the lamp light, "I've had a lot more people let me down than raise me up in my life so excuse me if my first inclination isn't to trust people blindly like you can."

"Have I given you any reason to not trust me lately?" James tilted his head, his beautiful eyes probing deep into her green eyes.

_No._ "I don't know, I can't judge that. We're kind of not at the same level, if you know what I mean."

James couldn't disagree with that as he watched her walk past him and into the spare bedroom. He clenched his jaw at the sound of the door slamming shut. He glanced down at his apparent arousal and looked around the newly decorated room.

"Shit…" He whispered to himself.

Not even seconds later, there was a knock on the door and James glanced in front of him to the front door.

"Coming," He called.

…

James sighed heavily as he trashed the white and red containers that he, Remus, and Lily just wolfed food down in. He'd left Lily and Remus alone in Lily's bedroom so that he could clean up the kitchen. He'd just finished with cleaning and was just about to enter the bedroom to join Lily and Remus when something made him stop. He paused outside of the door and peeped around the corner, the image in his mind of what he was doing reminding him of a time when he was younger and he used to eavesdrop on his parents private, deep conversations about life.

From his position, leaning around the corner, he could see Lily and Remus sitting on her bed. Remus was facing Lily intently while Lily faced away from the door and James toward Remus. From James's spot, he could see Remus hand Lily something and whatever it was, caused Lily to leap over and hug his best friend tightly. The loving embrace that Lily and Remus shared tugged at James's gut and an animal that he'd never been aware of before flared to life at the way his best friend and Lily were touching. Gods, he was _not_ jealous. There was no way.

"Oh my god…" Lily whispered and leaned back after giving Remus a peck on the cheek. "Remus, that's so thoughtful of you. Where did you find this?"

James saw Remus shrug. "Well, I went back to your dorm room and I was looking around for anything you could wear---"

Lily interrupted him. "Yeah, the other two outfits I have are at Lucius'."

Remus nodded. "…and I found that while I was looking. I've only heard you talk about wanting to be an actress a couple of times so I didn't know how much it would mean to you if I brought it with me but…"

"No, it means a lot." Her voice cracked a little. "Thank you."

James saw Remus give a big grin.

"Hearing those two words means more from Lily Evans mouth than from any other mouth." Remus explained through a smile.

"You know…" Lily said just above a whisper, standing up and clutching what looked like a book from where James was peeking through. "Way before my dad and I were split up, I told him about my dream of becoming an actress. I thought he would think I was crazy or something." She laughed softly, shaking her head and glancing back to look at Remus, "You know how parents want their kids to be lawyers or doctors? How they want their kids to get jobs they know will for sure pay big money and is achievable?"

James nodded in his spot but realized that she couldn't see him or know that he was listening. His gaze flew to Remus who smiled and nodded his head. James gritted his teeth. He knew more about parents' disapproval in choices of occupations more than Remus did. He wanted to be an artist and had undergone years of his father's constant arguing and debating about taking over the family corporation. He believed he was to become an artist. That's what James wanted to do with his life.

"Well, Dad didn't get upset. He laughed and a week later, I was enrolled in acting classes. Not long after, I was attending an acting school. Most of the course load was film and jobs for commercials… studying the arts of movement and speech patterns. It was really intense but I loved every minute of it. We had our basic courses but it revolved around honing our skills in front of an audience and the cameras.

"Just as things were getting worse with my dad, he got me this book of contacts." She shook her head, tears coming down her face as she looked down. "My dad was a pretty influential person in the show business. Not like anyone would believe me now, but most people in Hollywood knew him pretty well. He gave this book to me and said that my vocation of acting awaited my arrival. That was the last time I saw or spoke to him before being sent here."

Remus stood up and walked to her, holding out his arms for her as she leaned into him, her shoulders shaking as she cried.

From his spot in the doorway, James was vaguely aware that he'd walked into the room, longing to hold the redhead who just a couple of weeks ago seemed to have no desire to live, no reason for anything. Now, more than ever, James knew that she had all of the desire in the world, reason and purpose. She had a passion in her that was stifled in poverty and in hunger. In drugs and in sex. In alcohol and in a bad hand.

"Oh, Lily," Remus whispered, holding the small woman in his arms.

Lily sniffled and pulled back. Her gaze locked with James's behind Remus and he could tell she was at a loss of what to do. He couldn't tell her he'd just walked in and that he hadn't heard anything of what she'd just revealed about herself.

"_Ooh, shut your bloody gob about this topic, Prongs. You're a terrible liar." _

Sirius was right.

James was a terrible liar and trying to lie about not hearing what Lily said would be a futile argument and so he just allowed his emotions to flow through simple eye contact. He hoped that what she got out of the emotions in his gaze was that she could trust him, that he wasn't going to abandon her, that he would be there for her if she needed but wouldn't push if she didn't.

Remus turned to James, sensing where Lily was looking wasn't at him.

"James," Remus said softly.

James's eyes flickered to Remus before settling on Lily.

"It's okay." He said slowly. "I heard everything but I'm just here."

Lily wiped at her eyes and hugged herself with the leather bound book held tightly between her arms and her stomach.

"I'm just here."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the longer update. I had to wait until this chapter hit me just right. It's my favorite one so far. Tell me what you guys think. Listed below are all the people who have left me wonderful reviews:

greengrl, Eve1980, MyMuSiC, messyblackhair66, rubic-cube, kenziegirl, potterlady4691, Brittney, Gemz, rockstar-101, Isolde Eris, PotterChick958, phoebe, Dementedtearz, Whitelight72, I love fred and George, faking, Untamed Lover, littleginnygirl, SlytherinMuggleBorn, dancechic12345, Dream4eva91, Cupcakes.xx, -Scp-, Persephone

Thank you for your time and patience!


	7. About Trust and Worries

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Trust and Worries

**Chapter Began:** Wednesday, February 14, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Sunday, February 18, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Sunday, February 18, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Warning:** _Very_ mature. You've been warned.

**Author's Note: **I want to thank the people who have reviewed since the beginning of this story and has read regardless of their doubts. Thank you for your patience! And to the people who have just started to jump on the bandwagon, thank you for waiting for the right time for you to let it be known that at the beginning, it wasn't up to your standards but that it's slowly becoming your kind of story. It means a lot that you waited.

This chapter is dedicated to anyone who knows they're in a rough-and-tumble relationship but continues to see it through.

**Chapter Six: About Trust and Worries**

_I lose my way_

_And it's not too long before you point it out_

_I cannot cry_

_Because I know that's weakness in your eyes_

_I'm forced to fake, a smile, a laugh_

_Every day of my life_

_My heart can't possibly break_

_When it wasn't even whole to start with_

_--- Kelly Clarkson_

"Come in," The silky voice Lily had come to recognize anywhere said softly on the other side of the door.

Lily gently pushed the door open and had to readjust her eyesight to the candle lit room with yellows and oranges splaying across the Zen room of Lucius Malfoy's lair. The first thing that came into Lily's eyesight was Damek sitting in a chair that was connected to a long narrow table that crossed the entire room. She immediately shivered, hugging herself closely and mentally resolving that she knew Lucius liked to keep his rooms cooler than the average person with candles and fireplaces alight to sate his gothic tastes.

"Lily…" Lucius' voice hissed, almost like a snake slithering around her, making her cross the room to lean down and give him an airy kiss on both cheeks. Lucius insisted that his minions and whores abide by proper law. Greetings were not full mouthed kisses or hugs but rather airy kisses to both cheeks before being invited to do further.

Lily, as one of Lucius' prime players, merely had to wait a few seconds before he pointed to his lips with one slender finger. She gave a tight smile and leaned down again, brushing her lips across his thin, cool lips dispassionately. Lucius didn't like the overt, dominant lover but preferred a passive woman who would submit to him easily. It had taken Lily many weeks before she could master being such a woman for Lucius because it went directly against her nature. But, in order to survive, she'd had to learn quicker than months before her name ended up in the obituaries and her body would be no more. Lucius stated more than once that she was his favorite but Lucius was really just _fickle_ about the things he liked.

After a few seconds of mouth on mouth kissing, Lily gently pulled back, careful not to wipe off her lips with the back of her hand. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy kissing Lucius or that she didn't have desires for him past kissing; she could taste another woman's fluids on his lips and it made her want to throw up. He'd just been with another woman before she came.

Lily stepped back but was advised by one of Lucius' arms to come back into his embrace.

"I heard of your misbehavior with Damek a couple of weeks ago." Lucius said easily. "Is that the cause of your absence for the past couple of weeks?"

Lily swallowed and dared to take a glance at Damek who smirked and leaned back in his seat.

"Damek," Lucius said suddenly and the other man sat up immediately.

"Yes, Lucius?"

Lily heard the fear in Damek's voice. When Lily did things for Lucius, it was out of survival. She did them to make it to the next day, to get warmth and comfort. When Damek did things for Lucius, he was being a coward, hoping that if he stuck around long enough and pretended so, Lucius would give a little and Damek would have some power. Lily knew Damek was an empty ticket to Lucius and the only reason why Damek was around a lot longer than was supposed, was because he'd literally do _anything_ for Lucius, the sick bastard.

"Why don't you leave Lily and me alone?" Lucius asked.

Lily was careful not to shift like she was nervous and remained still in Lucius' lazy embrace.

Damek nodded and stood up, walking out of the room without another word.

Lucius stood up and unwound his arm from Lily's waist, turning to a counter with wine and glasses on it. "Damek tells me you're hardly ever on campus anymore."

Lily shrugged. "You know me. I don't ever go to class."

Lucius turned back to her with two glasses of wine. "He also tells me he hasn't seen you in your normal whereabouts… parties, the dorm rooms, even the Backroom… says you've disappeared for weeks. Is he right?"

"Damek is---" Lily started but Lucius held up his hand, interrupting her.

"I'm not curious about your explanations. You are an independent soul. I just like to know where my favorite girl is from time to time. If she's spending quality time with any of my enemies such as…" Lily winced inwardly, knowing what was coming, "James Potter."

She flinched and immediately rebuked herself inwardly for being so obvious. Lucius narrowed his gaze at her and took a step closer, offering her the drink he held in his hand. She shook her head, stepping back a little. "I'm not really thirsty."

"Not really thirsty?'" Lucius repeated, looking at her curiously, "Second pin. First, you don't come to me in weeks and second, you're not really thirsty. The look in your eye when I said Potter's name sure incited a reaction out of you. Please, do tell, Lily. Color me _curious_."

Lily turned away from Lucius. "Nothing. I had a lot of water just before I came here." She could lie better when his grey eyes weren't probing for answers. "And I really am sorry I haven't stopped by but you, of all people, should know that I lose track of the day and time when I'm drunk and high."

That last part was a bold faced _lie_. She hadn't had a drink or done any drugs since James had picked her up that night in front of the café. She'd been clean for weeks and she knew _exactly_ what today was. The only way Lucius would know that she was lying was if he questioned the people who hit her up with drugs daily but she doubted Lucius would go through all of that trouble for just a couple of weeks. It'd have to be months. This hadn't been the first time she hadn't shown up at his place in a long time. One time, she had gone a month and a half without so much as seeing _Damek_ never mind _Lucius_.

She should be secure in that lie.

No one knew how to be more careful around Lucius than Lily.

"And how is Potter's mother taking your addictions and shortcomings? Is she still the faithful, hopeful old lady I colored her to be?"

Lily gritted her teeth at the mention of Annette out of Lucius' mouth. They'd both helped her from the situation she'd left on the streets but the difference between the two remained that Lucius tried to pit Lily against Annette while Annette just warned her from time to time _generally_ about Lucius.

"Ooh, Lily," His hands caressed her shoulders which grew tense, "You're so sensitive sometimes."

One of Lucius' hands slid down Lily's shoulders, down her stomach and to lower parts of her body. Her eyes closed when she felt his cool hand slip underneath her skirt and up her thigh. His other hand massaged her breast through the thin material of her shirt. Sometimes, if she closed her eyes real tight, she could almost imagine that someone who loved her, _adored_ her was touching her in those intimate places.

"I'm the only one you can trust, Lils. The only one who understands what you've gone through, what you continue to go through." Lucius whispered in her ear, making her shiver. "Not a Potter or a Black or a Lupin. Just me. Trust only me, Lils, trust only _me_."

…

"James, we need to talk."

James froze and looked at Shauna.

_Maybe, this is it._

"You never take me anywhere." The woman sitting in front of him whined.

James tried not to glance around at the place in which they were sitting. They were in the food court of the most _expensive_ mall in Los Angeles, California. Probably the most expensive mall on the _entire_ west coast. He did his best not to frown and realized that it was his doing that he was still in this relationship with Shauna.

The thing of it was that it beat being alone or not having someone especially for him. Plus, it warded off the schools of undergrad girls hoping to score a relationship with him. They still followed him around campus and sent him notes like they were in high school while he was a T.A for some of the teachers but that kind of stuff was minimal to what they would do if he was without an alibi.

"And you won't even tell me if all of those clothes you bought are for _me_," She gave him an innocent smile.

James swallowed a piece of his Italian bread and looked at her seriously. "I _did_ already tell you. They're for the people at the Shelter."

Shauna sat back in her chair with a whimper. "Jeez, James, those people are dirty. They don't need _new_ clothes. Just go to the Salvation Army or something and steal _those_ clothes."

He frowned at her. Did she have a heart?

"I mean, they don't need Gucci or Pravda or any of those clothes you just bought more than _I_ do. I definitely have more of a reputation to uphold." She finished, folding her arms across her chest and sending him a dirty, disapproving look.

He sighed, shaking his head. She didn't have a heart.

He was a bad liar but Shauna was so clueless that she never recognized when he was lying and when he was telling the truth. In this case, he was definitely lying. When Shauna had told them that their date would be going to the mall that day, he'd quickly showered and made his way into Lily's bedroom, checking the tags of the shirt and jeans that she'd left behind that day. He wanted to do something nice for her.

Normally, when Shauna had taken him to the mall to shop for her, he lagged behind and was only semi-interested in what she wanted to buy. Today, he'd led the way into many stores he would never think about entering if he wasn't on a mission of his own. He hadn't told Shauna who they were for until the very end but she'd held onto the notion that the seven bags sitting beside him now were hers for an early Christmas.

He'd mentally kicked himself when he realized that he'd definitely just bought a whole bunch of clothes and er, _lingerie_ for another woman who _wasn't_ his girlfriend and who he wasn't even _sleeping_ with. Not to mention, this was _Lily_ he'd just bought clothes for, the queen of not knowing how to say thank you or accepting gifts. He thought of different ways to give these clothes to Lily but the only thing he could think of was leaving them in her room and bolting from the apartment and hoping that she didn't throw them all away in mistaking his generosity for pity.

"Is there another woman, James?" Shauna questioned for the umpteenth time that day.

"Shauna, I'm really tired of you asking me that same question." He said, taking a deep breath.

"Well, is there?" Her eyes scrutinized him carefully, sweeping across his face and flickering to his eyes before sweeping across his face again. "I mean, we haven't had sex in a long time---"

"Except for last night when you made me late getting home." He pointed out. They were out at a dinner and a movie and just as he was dropping her off, she jumped him and he'd had no choice but to be pulled into her place with her lips and teeth assaulting his mouth violently. It hadn't been very good for James but then again, with Shauna, he'd never really gotten much pleasure out of it.

However, he remembered last night because after the terrible sex with Shauna, he'd rushed to Cactus Jack's, ordered out, and rushed back to his apartment. He expected to find his apartment trashed because of Lily's anger or something, but he walked in to find her sitting on the couch, snuggling down and watching television. Last night was probably the first time she hadn't gone ballistic when going without food and maybe that's why today, he'd felt the urge to please her, to get her new clothes that she could wear.

He ignored the feeling like he was an adult rewarding a child for having good behavior and told himself that although at first, she might be insulted, that she would inevitably accept new clothes. Lily was different than most girls but she was still a girl and girls loved new clothes if they were fashionable and made them feel good.

"Last night wasn't even _that_ good. You didn't even seem to get off on it." Shauna complained.

He looked down, rolling his eyes and pushing himself away from the table. "Don't be so insecure, Shauna. It was fine." He stretched and looked at her. "I really should be getting back. I have some papers that I promised Professor Teal I'd correct for him."

Shauna rolled her eyes, shoving her chair back and standing up in a huff. "Fine. Be a doofus."

…

Sirius groaned when he heard a knock on his door.

"Who the _bloody_ hell is it?" He growled from his spot on his bed.

"It's me," Came the muffled voice from the other side of the door.

Sirius leaped from his bed and quickly strode to the door, swinging it open.

"Hey," Bella whispered quietly.

Calmed a little, Sirius gave a sardonic smile. "Long time, no see, little bint."

She walked slowly past him into his big, one person dorm room.

He sighed before shutting the door and turning. He leaned against the door casually.

"I'm sorry I chose not to talk to you," Bella started.

Sirius shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time."

She took a deep breath and turned to the dark haired man. "I figured you would---"

He pushed himself away from the door and walked to stand in front of his best friend's younger sister. "Would what?"

"Rub it in my face that I was wrong about Kyle." Bella answered, honestly. "_That_ wouldn't be the first time."

"I haven't yet, have I?" Sirius asked, irritation hinting in his voice. "I'm trying real hard not to."

"I realize that." Bella nodded. "You're always trying to look out for me because I'm your best friend's little sister."

He reached out and caressed her cheek, shaking his head a little. "No, you're more than that."

She tilted her head into his palm. "Am I? Sometimes, I think I am but other times…" She shook her head. "I don't even know."

He frowned, his forehead deeply etched with lines. "What's this all about, Bella?"

Her heart was pounding deep in her chest. She'd had deep feelings for Sirius for as long as she knew him as James's best friend but she never thought Sirius would look at her the way he was looking at her right then and there. It'd taken years for him to recognize that she was growing up into a woman, that she actually attracted _real_ men who desired her not because she used to be able to run faster than all of the guys or that she could spit a bigger loogie than anyone he knew but because she was a beautiful young woman growing into her own and men were attracted to that.

"I used to spend so many years, Sirius… just pining over you and watching you with all of these girls." She looked down, embarrassed but firm. "I wanted to be one of those girls who you casually threw your arm around or sloppily kissed…" She shook her head. "But then I just kidded myself because you never saw me that way. Just James's little sister."

He shook his head, standing closer to her. "That's not true."

"Isn't it?" She met his eyes. "Every time you see me with a guy who's interested in me, you play it off like the reason why you're concerned is because I'm James's sister."

His eyes darkened and he swallowed. "Every time I see you with a guy who's interested, I want to hurt him."

She stared at him, her eyes sparkling with unbridled curiosity.

"Admitting that to you terrifies me." He said slowly. "You're more than James's baby sister to me, Bella, but if James ever found---"

She silenced him by putting her finger to his lips. His eyes questioned her and slowly, very slowly, she stood on her tip toes and replaced her finger with her lips. She brushed her lips across his firm, full lips a couple of times. He didn't respond at first but then after she caressed his cheek as she kissed him, he began to kiss her back slowly.

It was sweet and slow.

"Bella," He whispered against her lips, holding her tightly to him.

…

James wanted to swear over and over again.

It was past midnight and Lily _still_ hadn't returned home.

Where the hell _was_ she?

He paced (more like stalked) his living room.

His first thought when he'd returned home was that she was probably at the Shelter but when he'd called long after five o'clock, the front desk had told him that she'd never made it in that day. Panic erupted in his belly and he'd declined three requests that night to go out for a drink to catch up with old acquaintances.

An hour passed and he'd picked up the phone then hung it up, debating on whether to call Remus. He was sure Remus would detect worry in his voice but with his situation, with him and _Lily's_ situation, he couldn't afford one of his best friends creating more out of his worry than what really was.

Was she lost? Was she drunk? What if she was high? He would shout in fury if she was. After everything he'd done for her, how kind he'd tried to be to her and that was how she left him? Deciding to not even come get what little belongings she had and to never even say a thank you? What right did she have?

Or what if she wanted to say thank you and she just couldn't? Oh gods, what if she was in trouble and he was standing there in his apartment like an idiot just getting madder and madder at her? What if someone got to her? She _was_ always talking about danger and trying to stay safe. What if whatever was after her caught her finally and he wasn't there for her? Then it would be his fault…

He ran an anxious hand through his hair and took a deep breath. He glanced out at the balcony and in an instant, made his decision. He turned from his spot in the middle of his living room and grabbed his jacket and keys.

Without one look back, he stormed out of his apartment.

* * *

**A/N:** So… this chapter had no James/Lily scenes but they were enough in each other's minds that I hope that it didn't disappoint you guys so. I will continue to write little Sirius/Bella scenes every now and then but I will heed your shoulder-shrugs on the issue and not make it a central aspect of the story.

Lucius made his first appearance in this chapter of many more to come. I wanted to give you guys a snapshot (and it's only that…) of the relationship between him and Lily. They'll have a lot of scenes together in future chapters but for a couple of chapters after this one, they won't. James and Lucius will have their scenes together and it won't be comfortable!

I'll continue my ritual and list all of the people who have spent some of their time reviewing for this story and sticking it out for me:

rockstar-101, ginnylovesharry2, Untamed Loner, Dementedtearz, bluejeanmistress, faking, Riauna, Katie, rubic-cube, sam0806, messyblackhair66, littleginnygirl, Percephone, Gemz, Beauty Lily, greengrl, MyMuSiC, tokyo affliction, Jenny, Whitelight72, tigerwhisper, -Scp-, pheobesapphira, xmushie133x…

Thank you again and please continue!


	8. About Decisions and Being Gone

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Decisions and Being Gone

**Chapter Began:** Sunday, February 18, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Sunday, February 18, 2007

**Chapter Published: **Tuesday, February 20, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Warning:** _Very_ mature. You've been warned.

**Author's Note:** I know I'm being repetitive, but thank you to all those who read my stories, who review with short reviews, who review with long reviews, who tell me that they are quickly liking my story, who give me their honest opinions… all of it is appreciated. Very soon, I will be starting something new with this story that includes interaction between me and the readers and reviewers, so look out for that.

This chapter goes to all those who reviewed last chapter. Thank you for your time and words :)

**Chapter Seven: About Decisions and Being Gone**

_I remember when you filled my heart with joy_

_Was I blind to the truth?_

_Just there to fill the space_

_Because now, you have no interest in what I have to say_

_I allowed you to make me feel_

_I feel so dumb_

_What kind of fool am I?_

_You so easily set me aside_

_--- Me'Shell Ndegéocello_

Lily quietly made her way into James's apartment in the early hours of the morning. He'd provided her a key just a few days ago because one evening, he'd come home from correcting papers with the freshmen psyche professor to find her sitting in a corner of the hallway, lightly dozing off. He'd gently wakened her and after an awkward silence, he suggested that he get her a key to his apartment just in case she went out and he wasn't back in time to let her in. She'd awkwardly, _uncomfortably_ accepted his offer and the next day, he'd presented her with the key she would use the following day when he wouldn't be home until late with ordered out food from Cactus Jack's.

The night before last night, she could sense that he'd been tense in entering his own apartment to find her curled up in a ball in front of his television watching _America's Top Model_. The way he approached her with the food in his hand and the guilty lines etched in his forehead satisfied her enough and she had decided that whatever he'd needed to do that day was probably important enough to be a _little_ late with the food he'd promised her that night. She'd smartly decided _not_ to argue with him.

Glancing around at the quietness of the apartment, she sensed that she was alone this morning. James had probably gone out early for his art class or went to meet Sirius or Remus for breakfast. She wondered if he noticed that she'd been gone all night and if he had worried a little. As sweet as that sounded in her head, he probably hadn't noticed and if he did, he probably figured that she'd crashed some place else. A thought crossed her mind and the jealousy that churned in her gut made her frown deeply.

What if he hadn't come home at all last night and had spent the night with _Shauna_?

She rubbed her head, tiredly, and collapsed on the couch, chiding herself on being jealous of another woman. Usually she never got _jealous_ because that same man would pull her into his bed anyways and usually wanted something she had to offer him regardless of whether he had a girlfriend or not. She was used to being the "other" or the woman that was held back within the shadows of a man's life and only brought out to become the man's sex toy.

The weird part of this whole jealousy thing was that James and Lily were _not_ intimate. They were… _acquaintances_. People who talked sometimes but rarely had anything in common to say much more than "hello" and awkwardly ask, "How was your day?" Sure, he let her sleep in his spare room but guaranteed that if it came down to his reputation, to his space, he would kick her out in a heartbeat. Again, in a _nice_ way, but the message would still be the same: _Adios, Amigos. _

Lily knew, though, that granting James sexual favors was out of the question. Being intimate with James Michael Potter meant you were all-star, Ivy League, blue ribbon material. To be on James's arm, to be able to claim that _James Potter_ was your boyfriend said something about you especially. It said that every man desired you because James had you. It said that you obviously could get any man because _James_ had taken the time to get to know you.

Lily Evans _knew_ she was not the desired woman that men pined after. Sure, she was a desired _notch_ in a man's bed, but she was not a trophy to be held up high, exclaiming victoriously that a man had won her heart. She'd be lucky if she ever reached that point in her life, lucky if she ever allowed herself to really _fall in love_ with a man that deeply.

She thought about thanking James in the ways she truly knew how though. Simply choking out the words _thank you_ never seemed like it spoke what Lily really felt on her insides. She thought about the few times that she and James stood in close proximity to one another, or the time he'd caught her cleaning his apartment in only her panties and bra, or the many times they'd bumped into each other when one of them had exited the bathroom from taking a shower in only a towel. She thought about all of those times after and even in the moment, just leaning up and brushing her lips against his soft, tempting lips. All she had to do was reach out and if she had that opportunity, she could prove to James that she knew how to please men, that she would instinctively know how to please _him_ if he just said the words.

But getting close enough, at that point, she knew it would be disrespecting the way James was, what James represented. James represented everything that Lucius was not, everything that Lily could only dream of receiving. He was a good man who would never take advantage of someone in the situation that Lily now occupied. They were at completely different points in their lives, different stages. What might feel good to Lily and boost her confidence in knowing that a man like James desired her might make James feel like he was leading a woman like her on, like he was stooping at a low level to sate only his physical needs and compromising the woman's integrity.

The differences between James and Lucius remained in these issues. Lucius might feel as though his interest in women like Lily made her feel special, precious whereas James would think differently if he invested too much time and promised much more than he could give. If he knew he couldn't give women like Lily all the things he whispered in the heat of the moment, he thought to not bother with women like Lily altogether. Although Lily admired James and the values he upheld in his life, she sometimes got downright _frustrated_ in all _sorts_ of ways when thinking about his strong will and discipline.

He was a man, for god's sakes! He'd have to crack _some_time!

Lily smiled despite herself as her eyes slowly closed.

But that was part of the reason why she _liked_ James…

…

Annette jumped when she heard the door to her office at the Shelter swing open and slam against the wall behind it. Her gaze quickly flew to her disheveled, _panicked_ son. Her eyebrows shot up and she immediately wondered what was wrong. Her first inclination was to call him over to her so she could check for any bruises or visible marks of harm but looking into his worried eyes, she instinctively knew _he_ wasn't hurt, at least _physically_, anyways.

"James, what…?" She started to say but he strode over to her white board which held all of the names of the students who helped her out here at the Shelter. "What's the problem?"

She watched as his eyes scanned the board and he pointed to Lily's name. "Did she come in yesterday?"

The older woman who'd raised James and had bandaged his cuts when he'd been out playing in the streets and had seen him hurt many girls' feelings for not being interested because they just "weren't his type" suddenly wondered about the relationship between her son and the girl whom she thought would be _far_ from her boy's "type." Lily was a young woman with outstanding potential if she chose to harvest it but seeing _James Michael Potter_ get all huffy and puffy over a girl he didn't really have much communications with confused the older woman. _A lot_.

"Why?" Was all she could ask.

"Mom, you know from Remus that Lily's been staying at my apartment. Don't play it off like you don't know." James turned to Annette.

She stood up and walked over to lean against the front of her desk with her arms crossed.

He sighed. "And don't look at me like that, Mom. I'm old enough to---"

"---To what, James?" Her voice was light-hearted but firm. The ideal mother tone that said that she was listening but that if he overstepped his boundaries in arguing with her, there would be repercussions. "Lily is nineteen years old, an undergrad---"

He scoffed. "Yeah, except for the fact that she never goes to _class_."

"James," Annette said in warning tone and he rightfully closed his mouth. "Now, you're right. I do know from Remus that you allowed Lily to sleep at your apartment _once_. I did _not_ know that this was an ongoing situation. James, you know when you and your father agreed to allow you to have your own apartment that you guys said _no roommates_. Now, unless I call him up right now and ask about the changes in your agreement, I suggest _you_ provide me with reasons on the sudden change of contract."

"There's no change," He tried to argue.

"There isn't?" One perfectly waxed eyebrow went up, challenging the younger man's statement.

He sighed. "Okay, fine. Lily is sleeping in the extra room."

"The _reason_, James. I certainly hope you're not harboring a woman who is _not_ your girlfriend in your bed, now." Annette chided softly but firmly.

"Mom…" James shifted uncomfortably on his feet. After six years of living out of his mother's house, she still had a way of making him feel like he was sixteen all over again.

"_Well?_"

"Of course not." He said. "It's just… I know she doesn't sleep in the best of places and I thought I'd do something nice for her and allow her to stay at my place for a while. Just until…" He thought about where he was going with this. He didn't know when he'd tell Lily to leave, if he ever _would_ tell her to leave. "I don't know." He finished lamely, shrugging.

Her eyes softened. "James, honey, what are your motivations with Lily?"

He shrugged again. "She's just a girl who was dealt a bad hand. I guess I wanted to help her out like you have and still do."

Annette Potter had longed for this day and she hadn't quite known how much until words like those left her son's mouth. He'd grown up with it _all_ which wasn't a crime but she'd wanted him to be able to meet people like Lily in her situation and to react with compassion and a selfless attitude that had mirrored many of the people who'd helped her out many years before.

"Ooh, James…"

He took a deep breath. "Lily has never stayed out past midnight before and I don't know why she would start now. I called yesterday to try and find out if she'd come in but the front desk said she hadn't."

Annette turned away, nodding. "Well, number one… volunteers don't check in with the front desk, they check in with me. And number two, the day before, I had told Lily to take yesterday off so she wouldn't be in, in the first place."

"Oh…" He said softly.

She took up her spot in her seat again, relaxed. "Lily goes by a completely different schedule than you, James. If you're serious in allowing her to stay with you, your first inclination shouldn't be to get mad and storm about, demanding things this way and that."

"I'm not," He replied stubbornly.

"You may not think so but the way you stormed in here, almost breaking my office door off its hinges isn't going to fly by so easily with Lily. She sees an angry man shouting at her, she's going to run in the opposite direction." Annette explained. "My suggestion to you is to get back to your apartment and wait and see. She may be out dealing with people _I_ don't want _you_ involved with."

"And you're okay with _her_ being involved with those kinds of people?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Unfortunately, I can't control what Lily does with her time or who she spends that time with. I can only be here for her when those people run her away. _You_ are my son and I _know_ you won't go looking for trouble. Am I correct in that statement, James?" His mother's eyes scrutinized him knowingly.

He shifted on his feet and nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, you're right."

…

Bella sighed as she leaned into Sirius's embrace on his bed.

"That was probably the best sleep I've had in a while." Bella whispered, her fingers outlining Sirius's black shirt.

"Yeah…" Sirius said quietly, staring up at the ceiling. He then frowned and looked down at the brunette resting her head on his chest. "Wait, why is this the best sleep you've had in a while? Bad dreams, pet?"

She shook her head. "No, just worried."

Sirius then sat up, causing Bella to remove herself from his embrace to face him. "Worried about what? James finding out about us?"

"No," Bella answered easily. "I can deal with James about knowing that we're… deciding to see each other but… I don't know. I'm worried about this thing he's not admitting he has with Lily Evans. It's sort of sick."

Sirius stared at Bella for a bit before resting his head against the headboard. "There's nothing going on between the two of them. They're just roommates."

"How do you know?" Bella sent him a skeptical gaze.

"Because I know James," Sirius answered.

"So do I."

He shook his head. "Not like I do."

"I'm his sister!"

"And I'm his best friend."

"And who do you think knows James best?" Bella challenged.

Sirius simply shrugged. "Me."

"Ooh," Bella narrowed her gaze at him. "You arrogant---"

"Bella…" He interrupted gently and she closed her mouth. "Kiss me."

She stared at him before she leaned over and placed her lips on his. They kissed softly for a little while before she pulled back and situated herself in the crook of his arm. "You're lucky I like you."

Sirius let out a deep chuckle. "Just trust me on this one, Bella. They're nothing more than roommates."

She let out a breath, sliding down in his embrace. "I hope you're right because the two of them in a relationship would just be unthinkable and _weird_."

…

James opened his front door to the sounds of laughter coming from the kitchen. He turned and froze at the sight of Lily and Remus having some sort of water fight. The first feeling at the sight of Lily in his apartment, laughing and apparently _safe_ was the irresistible feeling of relief. It washed over him like cool water on a hot day. He let it flow over all of the tense spots in his body that had ached with worry at all of the possible reasons why he hadn't seen her in a twenty-four time. He wasn't even going to _lie_… walking over and giving her a big hug crossed his mind.

After more than thirty seconds of watching Lily and Remus playfully squirt each other with water, feelings of resentment and anger entered into his body. He'd been out all night searching the side of the café building, he'd even went to the Backroom, had to suffer the smells of alcohol and drugs, and then had almost yelled at his mother in search of Lily Evans. And she was _here_, laughing with Remus and having a good time?

_Oh, hell no. _

"Hey, James," Remus said casually with a smile, turning to face the darker-haired man.

James nodded to Remus but his eyes immediately fell on Lily who smiled at him lightly.

"I stopped over but Lily said when she'd come home this morning, you weren't here." Remus explained easily. "We just finished with breakfast but I think there's still some more bacon left."

James merely nodded and continued to look at Lily whose smile was making him sick. He was upset and he tried to remember his mother's words but he couldn't help the acid tone in his voice when he spoke to her. "So, you came home this morning?"

The smile that Lily seemed to easily wear this morning quickly vanished and her bright eyes darkened. "Yeah, you were gone."

"Yeah… I was out looking for _you_." James said, anger in his tone.

"Why?" Lily's voice was little.

"I was---" James shifted on his feet, not prepared to admit to anyone that he was worried about her and so he said, "You were gone all last night. I didn't know where you were."

"I was out." Lily said shortly.

"Yeah," James gritted his teeth. "And you didn't tell me you would be out all night."

"Well, I'm sorry. Was I supposed to wear a collar with my name and your address on it?" Lily bit out, defensively. "I didn't know you had to track all of my whereabouts."

"Well, you _are_ living here." James said, folding his arms across his chest. "A note or an indication of where you'll be and when you'll be back is common courtesy."

"James," Remus stepped between the two angrily glaring at one another. "Calm down a little. Now that she knows that you were worried---"

James's head snapped to his best friend. "I wasn't worried."

"Oh really?" Lily raised an eyebrow. "I guess I'm not worthy enough for you to be worried about, hmm?"

"Lily," Remus tried calmly. "That's not what he---"

"Of course it's what he means!" Lily cried out hysterically. "It's _exactly_ what he means." She looked at James standing there, his breath coming in short. "Don't worry… you don't have to tell _me_ twice."

James let out a sarcastic laugh. "Oh right, because you have it all figured out, now don't you?"

"That's right!"

"Listen, just because you've had a hard life or whatever, doesn't mean you can act like you know it all because you _don't_. There's a lot more you _don't_ know about than what you _do_ know." James said, pointing his finger at her.

"James, that's unnecessary." Remus said.

"Shut up!" Both James and Lily shouted at Remus which made him shrink a little.

There was silence as James and Lily stared each other down and Remus stood between the two.

"Remus," James said slowly, trying to calm himself. "How about I'll talk to you later?"

Remus' gaze flickered between his best friend and the girl _he_ unfortunately was starting to fall for. "Um, okay…" He picked up his jacket from the back of the chair and turned to the two still looking at each other. "I guess I'll see you two around then."

With one last look, Remus walked out of the apartment.

Lily narrowed her gaze at James. "And you just know all about the real world, huh, James? Every last bit. You think you know about it because you seem to have more opportunities---"

"Oh, would you just shut _up_ about your _hard_ life? I get it, okay? Your father died and you went through crap. Big deal. Everyone goes through crap in their life---" He barely remembered what happened before he felt a stinging in his cheek as Lily lifted her hand and smacked him across his face.

"How _dare_ you say _anything_ about my father, you arrogant piece of shit!" Lily spat violently. "You know _shit_ about my life except what you've been able to eavesdrop on conversations between Remus and me."

James stared into the angry, emerald eyes of a strong woman disguised as what society looks down upon as weak. "I'm sorry…" He whispered quietly. "I shouldn't have said anything about your dad."

"_Damn straight you shouldn't have_. I have boundaries, James. Everyone does. Despite popular belief, I _am_ more like your kind of people than I am unalike." Lily said through gritted teeth. "I know I don't look like I'm a woman but---"

His eyes darkened and his gaze swept across her wet, white shirt. He could see _everything_. "You look like a woman."

Lily paused and her heart thumped wildly in her chest. She was _pissed_ at him yet one seductive look and he made her feel like liquid inside. Here was another one of those times when she wanted to just jump James Potter's body and rub herself against him urgently. Societal status, his and her reputation and their irreconcilable differences made it so that she didn't embarrass herself, though, so she refrained.

"You looking like a woman has nothing to do with this situation though," He forced himself to say despite his growing erection at the sight of her nipples pushing through the fabrics of her now see-through shirt. He could see the rosy peaks harden and strain against the thin material and he forced himself to look into her eyes. "It has to do with the fact that I'm letting you sleep in my spare bedroom and if you're going to continue to stay here, I need to know _generally_ when you'll be back."

"But you aren't worried so why should it matter?" Lily crossed her arms across her chest, blocking his view of her breasts. His gaze tried to keep from wandering back to the sight and despite the heat and pride she felt that he was a _little_ attracted to her assets, they were in an argument and she intended to get what she needed out of it.

He frowned. "What do you want from me?"

She shrugged. "You've given me all I want."

"So, why does it seem like it's not enough?" James raised his eyebrows. Now that her breasts were covered, it was easier to concentrate on the matter at hand.

"You storm in here all upset yet the only reason you provide me with is that since I'm living here when _you_ offered, I should feel obligated to let you know where I am. You're treating me like I'm a _child_, James." Lily said, her voice calm. She hadn't been able to calmly voice her thoughts in a long time and if she stopped to think about it away from her anger, she would have James to thank her in his teaching her how to do just that.

"That's not what I mean to do."

She sighed, frustrated. She stepped back and leaned against his refrigerator. "What do you _mean_ to do then?"

He stared at her. He had a right to be upset at her, didn't he? He did. He knew it. Yet, the tables were turning and he had an odd feeling that they weren't talking _just_ about the situation of last night but about what they'd been avoiding for, for a month and a half now. He realized she hadn't asked to be let into his apartment, hadn't asked for a bed, _clothes_, or food. Sure, she'd gotten upset about his not following through right away, but everything that had happened so far; he'd been the one to initiate, to offer everything. She never asked for any of this but he'd stormed into his apartment, upset at her as if she'd asked for everything when she'd only merely accepted what he chose to offer.

He shook his head, helplessly. "I don't know."

She looked at him for a long time before she nodded. "Okay, then, I guess this is it."

He frowned. "You guess what is it?"

"I made a choice." Lily said. "I knew it would come to this point where there wasn't anything left for us to do. I made it a point to not pressure you, to just go along with the flow."

"I know that." James said quickly.

"Jeez, James, you and I aren't even _sleeping_ with each other---"

"I know that." He said, gruffly, glancing at the floor.

"And you have a girlfriend---"

"Yeah…"

"---and you're rushing home because you want to make sure I'm _fed_?" Lily shook her head. "James, this whole thing is off. We've known it from the beginning."

He couldn't deny that.

It _was_ off.

_Completely_.

"I can't stay around, pretending that the reason why you stormed in here all upset was because you were actually _worried_ about me." She looked down before looking back up. "I've lied to a lot of people to protect myself but this is one thing I can't lie about… one hurt I _can't_ ignore."

He watched as she pushed herself away from his refrigerator and walked past him. After a couple of minutes of just standing there, listening with all he had to the rustling in the next room, he heard his front door open and then shut softly. He closed his eyes and swore under his breath.

Lily was gone.

* * *

**A/N: **Gone before it even started… don't worry; it won't stay like this for long. Absence makes the heart grow fonder… or so I'm told shrugs LOL… ahh, seriously, though… no Lucius in this one. Pretty much all of the good main characters appeared at least once in this. That should happen most of the time minus one or two characters. The antagonists will float in and out but you should really be seeing our protagonists every chapter unless I break rules… which I happen to do a lot. I was hoping you didn't see this coming but sometimes, you guys surprise me. You were right on with the clothes thing but then how is she going to get the clothes he bought her if she walked out on him before he could present them to her? Read more, will you?

Remus likes Lily; Remus likes Lily… lala lala…

Lily wants James… Lily wants James… lala lala…

And James doesn't quite know what's going on with anything. Kinda clueless, really. It's sweet.

Also, warning for the beginning of next chapter… smut for the beginning.

And so now, thank you to all of the people who are reviewing this story:

Untamed Loner, greengrl, FortunaNexus, I love fred and George, Percephone, Jay, faking, xmushie133x, messyblackhair66, SlytherinMuggleBorn, against.the.mainstream, xxquidditchjunkiexx, tigerlily7, jenn, Cupcakes.xx, jello, thusispeak, rockstar-101, Eve1980, PotterChick958, littleginnygirl, Riauna, pheobesapphira, Katie, Brooke198.

Thank you and please, please continue!


	9. About Dirty Dreams and Falling

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title: **About Dirty Dreams and Falling

**Chapter Began: **Saturday, March 3, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Saturday, March 3, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Saturday, March 3, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Warning:** _Very_ mature. You've been warned.

**Author's Note:** First, I want to apologize for this update being later than I intended. A lot came up but I'm back. I have not given up. Second, I want to thank the 36 reviewers who took time to read the last chapter and give me their thoughts. Unfortunately, time is running short and _this_ time around, I will not be posting all of the names of the people who left reviews. So, I just want to give a special thank you to EVERYONE because your time and words mean a lot whether or not I list all of your names. Third, I want to warn everyone that the beginning of this story is mildly explicit. If this offends you, I recommend that you skip over that part and read onto the rest of the chapter. Please do not report me. I've put a warning on this story with the appropriate rating _from the beginning._ Sex _will_ be an element in later chapters. This is just testing the waters, if you will.

Last but certainly not least, I dedicated this chapter to anyone who's ever lost someone to street violence.

**Chapter Eight: About Dirty Dreams and Falling**

_When your hero falls from grace_

_All your fairy tales are uncovered_

_Myths exposed and pain magnified_

_The greatest pain discovered_

_You taught me to be strong_

_But I'm confused to see you so weak_

_You said never to give up_

_And it hurts to see you welcome defeat_

_--- 2pac, performed by Impact Kids_

_He felt his groin tighten as he watched her (his) shirt slide up her upper thighs to the curve of her behind. He'd asked her to retrieve the peanut butter from one of the top cupboards. She'd complied happily and when he'd turn around, he caught a glimpse of those long legs on her petite body stretching and he couldn't help himself… he gawked at the tanned beauty before him. She didn't notice or feel his gaze warming to her legs and thighs. Every part of him itched to move closer, to press himself against her firm looking ass but he reminded himself that she was handicapped, or so to speak. _

_James Potter did not try and fuck girls in positions like Lily Evans. _

_Or he did, but not when they were as hopeless and as helpless as Lily was. _

_Still, he felt himself being pulled by his sexual urges to stand closer behind her. Before he knew it, he was pressing his bulging front end against the t-shirt clad behind of the redhead who'd occupied his apartment for weeks now. He felt her stiffen as he placed both hands on either sides of her thin framed body. He could smell the coconut shampoo she'd used in her hair earlier and he groaned at the gorgeous smell. _

_Lily Evans was **hot** when she smelled good. _

_He watched as she turned around in his embrace-like posture. He could see confusion, passion, and indignity in her blazing emerald eyes and it only fueled to his growing erection now pressing against her belly. They stared each other down for a long couple of minutes before he sensed that she was about to shove him a piece of her mind. _

"_What the fuck do you---?" She started to say but he quickly leaned down and covered her mouth with his, shutting out any more protests she might've flown at him. _

_Once her hot mouth yielded to his and he felt her arms fly around to the back of his neck to press him more against her mouth, he hoisted her up. Her legs wrapped easily around his waist and he used his tongue to duel with hers. They both moaned when she ground herself against him and he turned and bumped into his refrigerator. Using that as leverage, he thrust against her and earned a throaty moan from her. _

"_Gods, James…" She moaned, running her tongue along his lips as they delved into another heated kiss. _

_His body felt like it was on fire, like he wasn't ever going to stop. He'd wanted this from the first time he'd caught a glimpse of these legs under his covers the very first night she'd slept on his couch. He could've lied to anyone about that but here and now, it just wasn't possible. One of his hands went up to tease the hard peak poking through the shirt he'd provided her with. Lily broke the kiss and leaned her head back against the refrigerator, moaning and grinding her pelvis against his. _

_He almost collapsed on the floor right there. _

_His other hand flew to where their bodies were glued together. He wiggled his hand in between their bodies and lifted Lily's shirt. He heard her gasp at the coolness of his hand and at the heat of his mouth now kissing and nibbling at the base of her neck. He hooked his thumb on the inside of her panties and pulled, so that the thin material slid down and off of her ass and her pelvis. His hand immediately embedded itself in the wet curls of her crotch and he stuck two fingers in her moist opening. _

_Her head came forward and flung back with force and she groaned in both pain and pleasure, lolling her head and closing her eyes. For a second, he stopped kissing her neck and pulled back his head to look at her. She looked beautiful, her face flustered and her mouth slightly open, making "oh" sounds. _

_He thrust his fingers in her multiple times, feeling the muscles clench and unclench around his fingers. Just when he felt that she was going to come, he thrust three fingers into her tight opening and found her mouth with his and gave her the most passionate kiss he'd ever given a woman. She shook violently around him, moaning his name against his mouth and lazily kissing him. _

_After her orgasm and panting subsided, she leaned her head against his shoulder. He was rock hard but it gave him immense pleasure and pride in being able to make a girl like Lily Evans come. He knew he was good. Painfully, he felt her legs unwrap around his waist and she slid down the whole length of him. He couldn't move because he knew it would hurt. Her hands curled into his and meeting his questioning gaze, she smiled slightly and tugged on his arm for him to follow her. _

_Just as he was about to take his first step, he felt the room tug at him. Before he could do anything, he was being pulled from the apartment, from Lily's hand, from Lily herself. He frowned and tried with all he could to get back to her but something kept pulling him back, keeping him from continuing what they'd started. _

…

James sat up in his bed in a cold sweat, panting and glancing around his room.

Disappointment and shock hit him first as he remembered what he'd been pulled from, what he'd been dreaming seconds prior to sleep leaving him. It was just a dream but what would've it felt like if Dream Lily had led him to his bedroom out of the kitchen? Curiosity was his next feeling and he sat in his dark room for minutes, contemplating the satisfaction he'd felt in his dream at making Lily come hard and fast against his hand and mouth.

What inevitably came was the emptiness he felt at realizing that Lily was gone now. She no longer occupied his spare bedroom, no longer reached up to grab the peanut butter from his top cupboards. He didn't have her to stare at when she wasn't looking and fantasize about their circumstances being different. Of course he didn't want a relationship with her but just once; he'd like to feel her writhing against him in the heat of passion. Just once.

His gaze whirled around to the clock on his bedside.

It was eight o'clock p.m.

He must've fallen asleep when he'd come home from correcting papers.

He'd dreamt about Lily Evans.

About having sex with Lily Evans.

He shook his head and pulled the covers off of him.

_Cold shower, definitely. _

…

Sirius grinned when he saw his sandy blonde haired best friend cutting flowers and plants in the greenhouse. He'd been looking for Remus all day and when he'd finally come across one of the front desk people at the Shelter and they'd told him where Remus was, he'd made the long walk over. Remus was a pansy… the girliest, most sensitive, touchy-feely guy he'd ever met but he respected Remus like that. The guy genuinely cared about others, those in need and sometimes, Sirius caught Remus rubbing off on him. Only sometimes, though.

"Hey, Moony, what's cracking?"

Remus didn't turn or show any indication that he was going to turn to say hello to Sirius.

"What's the matter, buddy?" Sirius clapped Remus on the back.

The look Remus flashed when he disapproved of something of Sirius was shown in the lighter man's features and Sirius stepped back, still with a grin plastered on his face.

"Uh oh, Remus has the _look_," Sirius leaned against the counter.

"I don't know what you're talking about." The other man said in a tight voice.

"You know, the look you give when you're about to lecture me on---"

Remus shook his head. "Earlier, I ran into Bella---"

Sirius stopped and stared at Remus.

"---and apparently, you two have gotten _extremely_ close over the last two weeks." Remus took this time to put his tools down, turn to Sirius, and fold his arms across his chest. "She was _so_ happy in telling me that you two have spent _so_ much time together."

Sirius attempted a dry laugh but when that didn't work, he shifted on his feet and frowned. "Look, you're not Bella's older brother---"

Remus gave Sirius a sad smile. "Funny thing is, Sirius, I thought we were _all_ Bella's older brothers. We helped raised her _together_." Remus shook his head. "Don't tell me you're _sleeping_ with your younger sister."

Anger boiled in Sirius. "Okay, first of all, she's _not_ our younger sister, Remus, _okay_? She's _James's_ younger sister. We might've guided her like she was our younger sister but she's _not_. No incest there, therefore, it's perfectly normal, perfectly _legal_."

"So you don't deny that you're sleeping with her?" Remus raised an eyebrow.

"Define _sleeping with_."

The other man rolled his eyes. "God, Sirius, do you know how bad this is? You can have any girl you want in this city, _more_ even. Yet, you decide to try and make James's younger sister one of your conquests? Are you _serious_?"

"She's bloody more than a conquest, you git." Sirius gritted his teeth together. "And while we're bloody well on the subject, you half wit, when was the last time you got some, huh?" He shook his head. "Too bloody busy making moony eyes at your slutty new best friend, hmm?"

Remus frowned. "What?"

"Yeah," Sirius nodded. "Don't think I haven't noticed the relationship the two of you have so nicely developed behind everyone's back. While you want to talk about taking advantage, how much does it take to get a highly _insecure_, _helpless, unstable_ nineteen year old girl to fall in love with you, Moony? You want to talk about conquests and taking advantage, look at your bloody self before you go pointing fingers, mate."

"I'm not taking advantage of anyone---" Remus tried but Sirius laughed dryly.

"Yeah, that's not what you call it but anyone looking in can see the way you _really_ would like to have a go at her. Why else would you spend so much time trying to get on her good side?" Sirius shook his head. "And just for your information, what Bella has told you about us stay between us. You don't go telling anyone."

"Even James?"

Sirius narrowed his eyes at his best friend. "You wouldn't…"

Remus stared at Sirius for long moments. After a couple of seconds, he shook his head, looking away. "I wouldn't."

Sirius let out a sigh of relief. "I was bloody about to say…"

The lighter man looked at Sirius again. "Take care of her or I will." He shook his head. "Besides that, I wouldn't do that to a friend."

Sirius nodded. "I'm sorry. What I said about Evans---"

Remus shook it off with a flicker of his hand. "Don't worry about it. I'm still trying to decide what I want from Lily anyways."

"What you want from Evans?" Sirius asked, confused. "Are you sure that even if you knew, she'd be able to give it to you?"

Remus shrugged and then looked at his best friend. "What do you think?"

"I think," Sirius took a deep breath, seriousness in his tone. "Honestly, some day, she will be able to give what _someone_ will need, will want." He looked Remus right in his eyes. "I wouldn't hold my breath for that someone being you though."

Remus looked heart-broken and Sirius really wished he could take it back but he was a man _mostly_ of honesty. Remus had asked his opinion, his honest opinion and to keep his best friend from holding out on a woman he could be waiting for, for years, he'd had to do it. With one last look, Sirius patted Remus on the back and turned to make his way out of the greenhouse.

…

"Lily, can you grab this from me?"

The younger woman turned to see Annette with a rake. She frowned but, nonetheless, grabbed the rake from the older woman. She followed Annette through the double doors onto the front lawn of the Shelter. They walked until they stood under an apple tree they'd planted a year and a half ago together.

"What are we doing?" Lily asked quietly.

She'd worked with Annette eight times after walking out of the woman's son's apartment. She'd gotten used to the odd feeling of being so close to someone who was so close to the man that she had strong feelings for. She'd worked hard and good at hiding her feelings about Annette's son from the older woman but in certain looks that she received, she could tell she had a long way to go.

The truth was that before James, she'd never thought her life would change. Annette had told her time and time again that it could, that if she worked hard for it, something good was bound to pop up. She'd known Annette meant well and probably was right, but when she'd lived at James's apartment, she'd gotten an actual taste of what her life could change to. A life where she could spend it in bliss, eating the food that the man she deeply cared about cooked, showering in his bathroom, and sleeping in the sheets he'd cleaned for her. She'd tasted what that life was like and she'd been able to hold onto it for a couple of days after she'd left.

"You see the leaves under here?" Annette pointed to the already created pile next to the base of the tree.

Lily nodded.

"We want to clear this up."

The younger woman frowned. "But it's just past eight o'clock at night. Can't we just do it in the morning? And besides, isn't this the boys' job?"

"You said you wanted to help late tonight." Annette said softly. She shrugged. "If you're not up for this, I can always have Johnny or Jordan out here tomorrow…"

Lily shook her head, feeling guilty and sorry already. "No, we can do it."

Annette smiled and took a firm hold on her wheel barrel. "Good. This way tomorrow we'll just use the boys for carrying luggage for the guests at the banquet."

Lily began to rake up the leaves where some of them had blown away from the original pile.

Annette cleared her throat. "So,"

The redhead didn't bother to look at the older woman as she spoke. She was used to Annette striking up conversations in the middle of their work and projects.

"Have you spoken to my son?"

Lily swallowed, not prepared for that question. She shook her head but realized Annette had her back turned to her. "N-no."

"I understand you and he had a blowout a couple weeks back---"

Lily cleared her throat, shaking her head. "I-it wasn't as bad as Remus probably told you."

Annette looked at Lily, astonished. "How did you know Remus was the one who told me?"

She shrugged, raking harder and staring intently at the leaves. "I didn't tell you and I figured, I don't know, James wouldn't so… Remus was the only one that would've known."

"Can I ask you a question, Lily?" Annette stopped raking.

Lily's hands slipped a little on the handle. This was the first time she'd ever felt truly nervous at talking about James in front of Annette. She'd felt nervous under Annette's gaze many times but this was something entirely different. Something she'd never experienced before. Talking about James Potter when she'd just discovered that she had true feelings for him after they'd had an argument which led to her walking out, confused and hurt… phew, that was a lot.

"S-sure."

"What was your argument about?"

Lily swallowed again. She frowned and replied, "We just, um, weren't sure what I was doing there."

"Well, he was giving you a place to stay, taking care of you. Did he kick you out?" Annette's eyes blazed with disappointment, not at Lily but at the thought of her son doing something so thoughtless and cruel.

Lily quickly shook her head. "No, it wasn't like that. I…" She took a deep breath. "I was the one who walked out."

Annette looked confused.

"He seemed so worried when he came home." Lily stopped raking and leaned against the tree. "I'd never had anyone be so-so _frazzled_ like that, it kind of shocked me. I didn't know what to do or how to act, how to respond. I guess the only way I _really_ know how to communicate is by blaming other people and running away from them."

Annette shook her head. "That's not true."

"Are you sure?" Lily raised her eyebrows and shook her head. "I'm pretty sure your son would disagree with you."

"Well, he can come to me and we can talk about all of _his_ shortcomings before he can go and start pointing fingers at anyone else for theirs. One thing I raised my children to do was to at least _try_ to have an understanding, a seed of curiosity for things they don't know of." Annette leaned against the tree beside Lily. "James should at _least_ have _that_ ingrained into his skull."

Lily smiled a little. "He does."

The older woman turned her head to the younger woman.

"May I ask one more personal question and I promise I'll be done for the night?"

Lily looked at Annette. The woman's face brought a smile to her lips and like many times before, Lily felt a deep well of emotions that brought tears to her eyes. If only she'd had a mother like Annette growing up, she would've believed in herself more, put herself on the line to succeed, to have the confidence to be someone special.

"Do you have feelings for my boy?"

Lily blinked and glancing behind the older woman's head, she caught a glimpse of a black SUV slowly pulling down its windows. Her heartbeat quickened and she was distracted by the unsettling feeling she felt in her gut that something was going to go terribly wrong. Annette frowned and glanced behind her and Lily's eyes widened when she saw the silver thing cocked and before she could move, she heard the gunshots fired and felt Annette's body against hers on the grass for cover.

The next thing Lily remembered was people running out of the Shelter to where Lily was on the ground with Annette's body underneath hers. She rolled off of the older woman, feeling herself for any wounds and paused when she glanced down to see blood seeping through Annette's white sweater near her right shoulder. People crowded around them, some crying and panicking while others turned and ran for the nearest phone.

Lily used her hands to put pressure on Annette's wound, crying and biting on her lower lip.

…

James pushed his way through the emergency doors, immediately greeted by Sirius, Remus, Bella, and his father.

"What the hell happened?" James asked, taking in the fact that his baby sister had been crying and his father wasn't looking any better.

"They took your mother in." Sirius said, holding Bella closely.

Bella eased out of Sirius's embrace and went into James's. He held her close and kissed her on her forehead before turning to his father. The taller man immediately opened up his arms for his son and the two men embraced for a long while before James pulled back.

"So, what happened?" James asked, squeezing his hands together and taking a deep breath.

"Your mother and a young woman by the name of Lily Evans were out raking leaves together when Ms. Evans reported that a black SUV pulled up and started shooting at them." Nicholas Potter said in a deep, self-assured voice that cracked slightly from being upset.

James frowned. "What was she doing out at night raking for?"

Nicholas gave James a pointed look. "That's not what matters, son."

"Of course I know that's not what matters." He glanced around. "What did they say? Is she going to be okay?"

"They said that she lost a lot of blood but was lucky that she was shot in her right shoulder because if it would've been her left, the angle was right. We could've lost her." Remus said quietly.

Bella let out a muffled cry against Sirius's chest. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Ms. Evans is speaking with the officials right now." Nicholas said, rubbing Bella's shoulder comfortingly. "Apparently, the police think that she may know who's involved with the drive-by."

"Of course she would," Sirius muttered against the top of Bella's head.

"Sirius," Nicholas said sternly, making the younger man shut his mouth rightfully. "With Annette's condition, I will not tolerate comments about _anyone_."

"Yes, sir…" Sirius grumbled and turned to sit down in one of the chairs.

Bella followed and leaned her head against his shoulder when they were settled.

Remus glanced at James. "I'm sorry about this, James. I was just across the street in the greenhouse. I should've been there or done---"

"There's no blame on any one of us, Remus," Nicholas cut in, "The only thing we can do is hope for the best for Annette and hope that this young lady can provide the police with whatever information she may have on who could've done this."

"He's right." James said softly.

Remus nodded and turned to go and sit down with Sirius and Bella.

Nicholas looked at his son. "I understand you offered Ms. Evans the spare bedroom in the apartment I'm paying for, correct?"

James nodded. "But, you don't have to worry about paying for an extra person because that's not how it is anymore, Dad."

"Pardon?"

James took a deep breath. "It's a long story."

Nicholas nodded. "A long story in which you will explain to me the terms to which you allowed this to occur once we have a secure report in your mother's condition."

"Yes, sir." James said.

"Good." The older man gave James one last hug before turning and going to sit down next to everyone else waiting.

…

Lily frowned at the wall.

She'd just been interrogated by the police like _she'd_ been the one who'd pulled out the gun and shot Annette Potter. She knew as soon as the police walked through the hospital doors that they were going to call her out and question her about her connections with the seedy, underground players who could've targeted her, missed, and shot Annette instead. The older woman had many people from the Underground who wanted to praise her, not shoot her which meant that Lily had been the prime… _whatever_… in finding out about the drive-by.

It felt strange, though.

Thinking back to earlier that night when she and Annette had that conversation and the question posed just before the gunshots rang out, everything had seemed to go by in slow motion. Then, when the damage had been done, things sped by like Lily had just been standing still the whole time. She'd seen people get shot, she'd seen worse done to people, but this had been the most surreal, most painstaking experience she'd ever had to go through.

What was more painful was that Annette's family was just on the other side of the doors that led into the emergency waiting room. She stayed on the outer most part of the waiting room, discerning the situation on the outside and trying very hard not to get caught looking in by Bella, Annette's husband, or worse, _James_.

"Why are you out here?"

Lily froze and her breath hitched in her throat.

A regular pounding in her heart began and she slowly turned to see James standing behind her with a coffee cup in his hand. His t-shirt was wrinkled and his hair was messily done. His eyes, usually a light hazel color that showed many colors, were very dark and tired. Obviously he was tired. They'd been waiting for results for an hour already.

Lily shrugged, trying to shove down the leap in her stomach as James came to stand directly in front of her. "I figured it'd be awkward if I was in there with you guys."

He frowned. "Why?"

She bit her lip. "I don't know. Because I was there when it happened?"

James nodded slowly, his eyes looking her up and down.

If she caught it right, she swore she saw lust in his eyes but when she looked again, it was gone. She must've imagined it. Who was she kidding? Of course she imagined him having lust in his eyes for her! _Especially_ when his mother was in the emergency room bleeding her right shoulder out from a bullet wound. But that "imaginary" flicker of lust in his gaze made her heart pound harder and created a belly warm that traveled lower and became the result of wet panties.

She needed to _stop_ feeling these things. A woman could be _dying_.

"I thought it would be because you don't want to sit in the same room as me."

She detected unbridled irritation in his voice.

"Yeah, that _must_ be it." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "You know I tend to hold grudges against the sons of women who are bleeding fatally."

James gave a dry laugh and walked around her. "It wouldn't surprise me if you did."

Angrily, she grabbed his arm and whirled him around with all the strength she had. Shock and surprise were present in his eyes as she poked his chest, ignoring her urge to jump up and start humping him like a horny bunny. She took a deep breath. She honestly hadn't had sex since the night before she walked out on James when she'd gone to visit Lucius. She _needed_ sex.

"Watch what you say, James," Lily warned, her voice lowering. "I care about Annette just as much as you do. More than I care about some differences between you and me."

James's eyes darkened. "I hope so." He narrowed his gaze at her. "You really can't bring yourself to be close to me, can you?"

Lily lifted her chin. "Can _you_?"

They stared at each other evenly before the sides of James's mouth tilted up a little but even with a small smile, his eyes still held worry and sleep. Even though he looked disheveled, she still thought he looked like one of the sexiest men she'd ever laid eyes on.

She gulped when she saw him take a full step closer to her so that she could feel his thighs pressed lightly against hers. She tried to maintain her posture but he towered over her, well over six feet, and his build was muscular, assured while she was a petite, small little thing. Sure, she had womanly curves but compared to his manly shoulders, build, she was a fly to him.

Her breath caught in her throat when he leaned closer to her where his nose touched her nose. He was so close. Close enough for her to just lean up a little and kiss him. His breath was light, steady against her lips and just when she thought that he would lean down fully and brush her lips with his, they both were interrupted by the sounds of joyful shouts.

The door opened behind James from the emergency waiting room and Sirius came through them. "James, your mother's going to be okay! They're offering visiting time in just a few minutes."

Sirius didn't seem to notice what was happening between James and Lily and immediately pushed his way back into the emergency waiting room, giving shouts of joy and laughter.

Somewhere inside of Lily, the part of Lily that wasn't completely wrapped up in this sexual tension she had with James, felt relief like she'd never felt it before. That part of her wanted to jump up with joy and hug the first person she saw, which unfortunately, would've been James. But, because most of her guarded that side of her, she didn't feel a strong inclination to do what that part of her tempted her to do.

James smiled and leaned closer to her so that when he spoke, his lips brushed lightly against hers.

"Is this close enough for you?"

* * *

**A/N: **I froze with this chapter, I'm not sure why. Plus, a lot of stuff has happened so I can't always be giving you the quick updates I've been giving you all of the time. I will try as hard as I can though. You guys deserve that much with all of the support I've received.

Any who…

James has a dirty dream about Lily.

Remus finds out about Sirius and Bella, and the two guys get into an argument and then make up in the same scene. I love those two guys.

Annette gets shot. But she's not dead. Yet.

And we get James and Lily closer physically without actually being physical than we've seen them this entire story. Things are only going to heat up from here, not cool down, if you know what I mean ;)

Stay tuned! And keep sending me those great reviews I get on occasion!


	10. About the Pit and Thank Yous

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title: About the Pit and Thank Yous**

**Chapter Began:** Sunday, March 4, 2007

**Chapter Finished: **Sunday, March 25, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Sunday, March 25, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Warning:** _Very_ mature. You've been warned.

**Author's Note: **I am very, very sorry it took so long to get this one out. It's long though :/ I had a huge case of writer's block and haven't even really completely gotten out of it but I had enough of ideas to get through. Hopefully, next chapter will just be all natural. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and I again apologize for being late in updating. It was the last thing I wanted to do for you guys.

* * *

**Chapter Nine: About the Pit and Thank Yous**

"_You ever heard of the Pit? It's a place you preppy, private universities never heard of. You see, it's a real underground cave with high drug trafficking, alcohol consumption, and high fatality rates. It's where the highest kingpins of the Underground negotiate hood territories and cutoffs. There are rules, like no bloodshed, but emotions run so high that it happens. People are killed. Bodies are found when people like me scatter the caves thin. It's not a place you want to go to, kid." - - Mad Eye Moody_

_Present…_

James should've listened to Private Investigator Moody.

He really should've.

He gazed around in amazement at the number of people he saw falling over, their eyes glazed with something scary. These people weren't living. They were teetering on an edge too dangerous, too far away from the real world. The saddest part, though, was that no one would recognize the empty space that a body used to occupy in this world if they somehow died. These people were with _them_, those people on the _other_ side of campus, James was sure of it.

Moody had been right about PAU students never hearing of a place like the Pit. Women, all ages, grinded themselves into oblivion against scary looking men. Some of the men, James could've definitely coined as people who attended these places frequently but some of them looked so normal, James could've seen them walking around PAU and not have blinked an eye. That was a freaky realization to say the _least_.

Damek glanced back at James who slowly met his eyes. "He's just a little further in…"

James nodded and continued to glance around. Strobe lights blinded him every which way and he struggled to keep his feet firmly in tact with the ground. The lights made him feel as though as he was spinning in some sort of crazily lit vortex and he tried to use Damek as a focal point. He reached out and accidentally knocked his hand into a grinding couple.

"What the _fuck_?" He heard the guy's voice shout, turning to see who had whacked him.

"Sorry," James muttered, trying his hardest to push past the moving crowd.

The place _reeked_.

It smelled like drugs, alcohol, sweat, dirt, puke, and urine.

James couldn't understand the appeal of this place, although he could never understand the _people _here either. Hard music vibrated in his chest and his ears ached with the sound of horrible music filling the air. He could barely hear the excited shouts and chants that the people around him were now participating in.

_Great idea, James…_

He could barely see Damek turn again and lean close into him.

"We're just going to turn into a kitty corner. Hope you're not claustrophobic."

James rolled his eyes and then realized that Damek probably couldn't see him do that. He followed Damek into the kitty corner that he'd mentioned and realized that there was a small opening just at his feet. Before he could open his mouth to complain, he saw Damek drop to the ground and crawl through the itty bitty space.

"What the _hell_?"

He debated on not following through but when he glanced back at the strobe lights, remembered the smell of all nasty things combined, and the people grinding their bodies into exhaustion, he decided that there was no way in hell he'd gone through all of _that_ shit for nothing. James dropped to the ground and pushed his way through the dirt and cobwebs that no doubt was in his hair now.

…

James finally emerged out of the mini tunnel he'd had to crawl through. He slowly stood up and looked around. There was a small, dirt padded den with fancy lanterns placed strategically around the relatively large cave.

Where the hell was he _now?_

"James Potter," A voice hissed.

James's eyes whirled around to find the source of the familiar, cold voice. Looking to the front of the cave where there lay furniture and a large group of people off to the side of him dancing to the distant but still very near sound of that awful music, James saw Lucius Malfoy standing up from his _throne_ like chair to greet him. Besides Lucius, Damek stood like a loyal piece of shit that would get thrown away sooner or later if he stunk much more.

"What brings you to the darker side of this world?" Lucius asked, his voice easily traveling to James's ears over the sounds of people grunting and moaning.

The darker haired man slowly made his way to the apex of Lucius' comfortable surroundings. James despised Lucius with a passion he'd never held before. The man before him gave him the shivering feeling, the bone chilling feeling of hatred that scared James. He'd never hated someone as much as he hated Lucius before and he knew he'd never hate anyone as much again.

James _knew_ the past three deaths that happened at PAU was Lucius' doing. He couldn't pin any evidence on the man though to get him on the stands and then enjoyably, in prison. He'd tried to tell his dad to get some of the best lawyers on Lucius' ass but Nicholas Potter had respect for Lucius' father.

"Drive-by that landed my mother in the hospital for three days. I know you know about it." James said harshly.

Lucius whistled. "Going around and making accusations like that, Potter, and you could land yourself in some serious trouble."

James scoffed. "What? You're going to send your groupies after me? I'm not afraid of you, Malfoy." He glanced quickly at Damek who was smirking now. "Not like your idiotic lap dog over there."

Damek's smirk faded. "Hey, I - -"

Lucius held up his hand. "Silence."

Damek shut his mouth quickly.

Lucius slowly breathed in and then let out a slow breath. "Why are you down here, Potter? Are you looking for trouble?"

"I'm looking for you."

"That's a bold statement."

"It's the truth."

Lucius stared at James for a few long seconds before letting out a cold laugh.

James shifted on his feet, wanting nothing more than to leap at Lucius and beat the shit out of him. Many people stopped dancing and turned to look at what was causing Lucius to laugh so. They glanced between him and James.

"You're correct in stating that I know something about the drive-by - -"

"So you admit - -"

"Not so fast there, Potter. You didn't let me finish."

James clenched his jaw.

"You see, we're not in what is familiar territory to you. One snap of my fingers and you could be someone's meal down here. You're forgetting that down here, you have many enemies. People who would like nothing more than to see you suffer." Lucius grinned. "Unfortunately, that person wasn't me the day Annette Potter was shot in a drive-by."

"Then, who was it?"

"It would be _stupid_ of me to tell you straight-forwardly."

"You're wasting my time." James said, his voice low with pent up anger. "If you don't know anything, then our business is done."

He turned but was met with a bigger built man with something sparkly in his hand. James breathed in quickly when he felt the sharp object press firmly into his throat. The thug held him firmly so that he couldn't move from his spot. James's eyes whirled to Lucius who grinned widely, evilly, and back up to the bigger man who smirked, twirling the object's tip more firmly in a dangerous area on his throat.

_**Fantastic** idea, James…_

…

_Earlier that day…_

Nicholas Potter watched his wife roll over on their futon couch in the living room of their multimillion dollar home. He had wanted her to sleep in their bed but she had insisted on sleeping on the couch. When they had their argument, she had attempted to use logic into her very _illogical_ idea. Who was he to turn down such a thoughtful side of debate?

"Nick?" He heard her murmur.

He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead as her eyes fluttered open. He remained conscious of the bandage that stuck to her right shoulder. They had had to tape it up because she had said that her arm felt weak on that side. He'd cancelled all of his appointments and hers too so that they could stay in and rest, her especially. She'd been running around, trying to make herself useful at the Shelter that it'd been a long time since they'd been able to just sit and enjoy each other's company.

"I'm right here, sweetheart." He whispered.

She smiled and tried to sit up. She groaned a bit and he assisted her until she was propped up on the light brown futon pillow. "How long was I sleeping?"

He shrugged. "Just a few hours."

"I mustn't have been as tired I thought." She frowned immediately. "How are the kids?"

Nicholas sighed. He knew that was coming. "They're fine. Why don't you…?"

She gave him a stern look. "Nick, you know you've been avoiding how they're doing from me all week, right?"

He nodded.

"And you haven't been at your office in a week. I haven't asked you to do any of that but I _am_ asking you how our children are doing. Please provide me with that answer, at _least_." She knew he meant well but sometimes, he just needed to do what was really necessary. Taking a whole week off of work was nice for the both of them but this was something that she _needed_ to know, needed to hear.

"James and Bella are… coping. They're shocked but they're handling it rather well."

"Yes, well, having their mother almost die kind of might do that to them." She tried to crack a smile but her husband didn't give.

"I almost lost you, Annette." He said seriously. "I'm not going to let that happen again."

She narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean?"

He stared into her eyes before standing up from his spot on the floor and turning his back to her. "I've allowed the kids to hire a private investigator, a whole department as a matter of fact."

"A _what_?" She gaped at her husband.

"They're supposed to be negotiating look outs, bodyguards, and people active out in the field." Nicholas explained. He hadn't wanted to tell Annette this but he knew they would've gotten into an argument if he hadn't. They would still but at least it would be just a bit of a _mini_ explosion.

"Nick, that's completely unnecessary. It was probably random--" Annette said.

"Actually, the authorities James and I spoke to believe that it was a targeted hit. They were aiming for you--" Nicholas turned back to her and ran his hand through his hair.

"Lily was with me." Annette interrupted quickly. "Is anyone watching her?"

"No one's been able to locate her. They're supposed to be looking." He said quietly. "Whoever shot those bullets at you, Annette, will not be pardoned. They'll pay. I'll make sure of it."

She looked at him, really _looked_ at him. A surge of affection hit her in waves. She really loved this man. Her anger at him putting so much energy into protecting her transformed itself into gratitude and love. What would she do without him?

"So, you put the kids in charge of _first_ speaking to the lead investigator?" Annette shoved that feeling down until she knew _all_ of the details.

He nodded, coming to kneel in front of her. "They're meeting with him today. Some of the men I do business with say he's the best."

She frowned, not liking the idea. "I don't know, Nick. I really think you should be down there navigating the situation. The kids have never dealt with something like this before."

"They're fine." He began to lean in, sensing her reluctance to drop the conversation but knowing that she would soon. "Besides, I'm here spending this beautiful afternoon with my beautiful wife, taking good care of her."

Annette smiled. "How good?"

Nicholas smiled in return, leaning in to touch his lips to hers.

…

"This is ridiculous!" James shouted.

His sister and two best friends' eyes widened at James's explosion. They hadn't seen him flip out like this since freshmen year in high school when he'd lost a soccer game against their all time rival. His hair was messier than normal and his clothes were wrinkly. He looked like he hadn't bathed or showered or even shaved the fuzzies growing on his chin and jaw line in a few days.

Mad-Eye Moody, a man of about fifty years of age, limped over to stand directly in front of James who fumed. "Listen, boy, I've been investigating crimes like these since before you were born. I know a little something about what goes bump in the night. And since I _do_ know more about it than you, I suggest you follow _my_ lead."

James stared at Moody. "But you're suggesting that we _relax_ and take a step back. That's not going after a criminal; that's giving them plenty of time to come up with their alibi!"

"James, maybe you should---" Remus tried but was met with an angry glare.

James looked at Sirius who uncharacteristically flinched when he looked at him. "Sirius, I know you agree with my avenue. We should go to the source of the problem and take him out. We should find _Lucius_!"

Sirius seemed to have a difficult time sputtering out words. "Yeah, I um, I agree with you up until that point, Prongs."

"What he's basically saying is that although we share your enthusiasm for taking out Malfoy, we should follow Investigator Moody's lead." Bella folded her arms. "He _has_ been doing this a lot longer."

James let out a frustrated sound. "You guys are just letting Malfoy slip through the cracks again. He's going to get away with crime again."

Moody frowned. "You really think its Malfoy, kid?"

James looked at Moody evenly and nodded.

"What gives you the idea?"

"The fact that Malfoy's an ass," Sirius muttered and Bella elbowed him.

Moody laughed at that and it startled the younger people.

"What's so funny?" Bella asked, frowning.

"Young folks nowadays. Someone's evil because you got into a fight with them the other day and you're looking for a bit of payback." Moody's smile immediately dissipated into seriousness. "Listen, kids, I know you guys think you own the world because you're getting a bit of education but out here in the real world, we can't be locking someone up because you just don't _like_ them. There has to be probable cause."

"Malfoy's gotten away with so much because of that _bit of education_, Investigator." James said firmly but quietly. "It's a gut feeling that Malfoy is somehow involved in this, I _know_ it. He knows something about that night and I intend to find out what it is he knows, even without your help."

Moody looked at James seriously and then slowly leaned in.

"You ever heard of the Pit?" Moody's eyes glinted, wildly excited. He really did look _mad_. Madly _insane_. "It's a place you preppy, private universities never heard of. You see, it's a real underground cave with high drug trafficking, alcohol consumption, and high fatality rates. It's where the highest kingpins of the Underground negotiate hood territories and cutoffs. There are rules, like no bloodshed, but emotions run so high that it happens. People are killed. Bodies are found when people like me scatter the caves thin. It's not a place you want to go to, kid."

"He doesn't plan on it," Remus said, looking urgently between Moody and James. "Tell him, James, so that he can get on with his investigation."

James breathed in deeply, wanting nothing more than to prove this old man wrong. He may not have gotten his leg sliced off by some high profile criminal or gotten his eye cut out, or any of the equally nasty things above, but he knew his gut feelings were never far off. What Moody planned to do with that bit of information he offered to James was to scare James away from wanting to be more a part of the investigation but it just sparked his curiosity.

_The Pit…?_

His eyes gazed to Remus who looked desperate to get out of there and he sighed. "Fine, have it your way."

Moody stared at James for a little bit, scrutinizing him with his one eye. Then, finally, Moody seemed satisfied and attempted a smile but it looked ugly against all of the scars on his cheeks and the lines of age.

"Good. Very good."

…

James walked across campus quickly, his destination clear in his mind. He was on a mission to find out more information about this thing called the Pit. If it was really what Moody had said that it was, then he knew that Lucius would definitely have a hand in this place. He also knew the perfect middle man to get him there.

"James Michael Potter!" A voice pierced the air and he froze, his heart pounding. "We – _need_ – to – talk!"

He slowly turned to see Shauna rushing toward him, her designer bag bumping violently against her shoulder. He could see the angry lines in her heavily make-up face and her eyebrows knitted together like they were not separate. Her mouth was drawn into a very thin line as she came to stand directly in front of him, causing a scene and making everyone glance their way uneasily.

"Where the _hell_ have you been?" She poked his chest and frowned, looking at her nail before throwing her hands up in frustration. "Everything is going so wrong. You haven't talked to me in _days_ and I just broke my nail. See?" She shoved her hand in his face.

He frowned at the sudden intrusion and backed away. He was really _not_ in the mood to deal with her. He had things to do. "Shauna, I'm busy."

"But you're always _busy_. We never even have _sex_ anymore; you're so busy all of the time. I mean, what could be more important than having this," She turned and glanced down at her behind to emphasize her point, "in your bed twenty-four seven?"

"Um," James felt a surge of anger toward her selfishness and was prepared to do or say anything to get her away from him, "I don't know, maybe my mom getting shot just outside of the Shelter in a drive-by?"

She waved it off. "Yeah, I know that but isn't she like, better now?"

James breathed in deeply and exhaled. "Shauna, you and I are through."

"_What_?"

"You heard me," He walked around her and began walking away from her. "We're through. Goodbye."

Shauna grabbed his arm. "No, we're not," She pleaded. "No, because we're supposed to date for an indefinite amount of years before you fall so madly in love with me and ask me to marry you. And then I'll be a very rich, very spoiled wife while you take on your father's business. I have it all worked out, you see,"

He turned back to her, feeling her hand tighten around his forearm. He was disgusted that he had dated her at that point. He just wanted to get away. "Shauna, let go of me. Find some other rich man to fulfill your fantasy."

"But I want you," She whined, planting her three inch heels firmly in the grassy soil.

"I'm sorry but you can't have me now let go." He tugged but she wouldn't budge so he worked on prying her fingers off.

"Is this about that girl you've been cheating on me with? Because I have people in high places…" Shauna threatened.

He finally got his arm released and she wobbled a bit because her heels were stuck in the soil before she toppled over into the grass on her butt. He was too focused on getting out of there that he couldn't enjoy the view of her struggling to stand up in her expensive outfit and heels. He couldn't pause to see the many people laughing under their breaths as they walked by to hear and see Shauna Williams flipping out at James Potter for dumping her.

He had places to be.

People to see.

…

"Lily!"

She turned quickly to see Remus running toward her, rushing past the crowds of people getting out of their classes. Her eyes widened at the sight of someone trying their hardest to stop her to talk to her. It was kind of ironic, to say the least. She'd really tried to avoid the crowds lately, fearing that whoever was responsible for the drive-by a week ago was targeting her and she'd be endangering people's lives if she hung around the party scene too much. She allowed Remus to catch up to her though because he was special.

"I haven't seen you in the longest time." He breathed in and out heavily.

They began to walk.

Lily nodded. "I'm trying to keep a low profile."

Remus nodded as well. "We're on top of it."

"Huh?"

"James's dad allowed for us to hire private investigators to see what happened in that drive-by. Speaking of that, you should really check into them. They want to keep a close watch on you, just in case whoever was responsible is keeping tabs on where you are to strike again." Remus said, voicing his concern in his tone.

She shrugged. "I don't really need bodyguards and--"

He shook his head. "It's really necessary. It's not just your life that was threatened."

Lily paused and accepted that, nodding. "How is Annette? I guess Mr. Potter cancelled all of her days this week for her to rest so I haven't seen her at the Shelter."

"She's okay." Remus frowned. "To tell you the truth, we're all more worried about James. He's taking it kind of hard."

She attempted humor even though she knew it was bad humor. "Guess having your mother get shot isn't really the ideal kind of situation."

"Have you seen him lately?" Remus asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

He paused and then laughed, shaking his head. "Never mind."

"No," She stopped and turned to Remus. "Why do you ask?"

Remus shrugged, stopping as well. "I don't know. You two, um, kind of left things awkwardly the last time I peaked in at you."

"What are you saying?"

Remus seemed like he was in an awkward situation. "I don't know what I'm saying. There's tension between the two of you…"

Lily rolled her eyes inwardly.

Yeah, the last time they'd had tension; it was of the heart beating, knees shaking, down low throb… who _couldn't_ sense something as powerful as that? She remembered how close they'd been to releasing all of that "tension" into one heated kiss that would've revealed so much more than Lily cared to see.

"Lily?"

She snapped out of it and looked up at Remus. "James and I are just two different kinds of people, Remus. When you put us together, there's bound to be tension."

She was desperate to change the direction that this conversation was headed. "So, how is James handling it that makes everyone worry?"

"He's just trying to take the investigation into his own hands. We keep trying to explain to him that Moody is more experienced in this line of work but no matter what anyone says, he won't listen. We're all afraid he's going to do something rash." Remus explained, motioning helplessly as he talked.

"Like what?" Lily stared off into space, not liking the idea that something could happen to James if he ventured too far off into unknown territory.

"We're not exactly sure." Remus admitted. "Moody revealed something about a place called the Pit, or something rather. It was kind of scary, him telling us about it but James didn't look too scared."

"He should be," Lily whispered, fear immediately clutching at her stomach.

"You've been there?" Remus frowned.

She met Remus' gaze evenly.

"Lots of times."

…

Damek groaned as another blow hit his stomach.

"Ah, okay, okay," He grunted, bending over and coughing.

"You'll take me?" James asked, rubbing his fist to ease the sharp pain. He'd hit guys before but it'd been such a long time since he'd really whammed on someone, he forgot it hurt.

"Yeah, yeah… you just have to give me two hours." Damek explained, holding his stomach and trying to stand up straight. "To secure the deal."

"What deal?" James frowned.

The other man smirked. "Guess you've never dealt in the Pit before."

James didn't say anything.

"Visitors, that's you, get bys. Photo ID gets you one alcoholic beverage and one joint. A deal gets you a semi-private meeting with any kingpin of your choice. You want Lucius, I'm your middle man, and so you need the deal. Anything else goes." Damek explained.

"What do you mean?" James narrowed his eyes.

"Walking into that place, the things you see, what you hear, what goes on… you don't say anything. Word is, you've got some group of investigators working for you right now. If I risk my tokens on you walking into that place and you open your mouth to one of those investigators about what goes on there, you're liable for street lynching. That's what I mean by _anything else goes._"

"How much is all of this?" James asked, stepping back to give Damek some room.

The other man frowned at James. "You don't pay me in cash."

"I wasn't planning on it but I know people like you don't just help people like me. There's a catch." James knew he was stupid for going to Damek Jacobs but he was desperate to get anyone and Damek was the only one he knew that probably had been to the Pit many times. Okay, he knew Lily definitely went there even if she hadn't told him, but he had no idea where she was.

Damek just smiled, walking past James. "Just wait for my call in two hours. If it's a go, meet me in front of the Shelter at eight o'clock. No investigators allowed tailing your rich ass, you got me?"

"I got you." James clenched his jaw.

This had better be worth it.

…

_Present…_

It hadn't been worth it.

"You're wasting my time." James said, his voice low with pent up anger. "If you don't know anything, then our business is done."

He turned but was met with a bigger built man with something sparkly in his hand. James breathed in quickly when he felt the sharp object press firmly into his throat. The thug held him firmly so that he couldn't move from his spot. James's eyes whirled to Lucius who grinned widely, evilly, and back up to the bigger man who smirked, twirling the object's tip more firmly in a dangerous area on his throat.

_**Fantastic** idea, James…_

"Our business here isn't done." Lucius sneered, walking closer to James. "You see, I have an investigator crawling up my ass everywhere I go on campus. I know you're standing here asking me to respect your wishes and to tell you about what I know when you're disrespecting me by putting an idiotic cop on my ass. That's not the way things work down here, Potter."

"Then how about you tell me how things work down here, Malfoy…" James choked out, feeling more pressure added to the knife pressing against his throat. One slip and his throat would bleed out all of the blood in his body.

"Get your buddies off of watching me and I'll push you in a direction that may or may not lead you to the one responsible for your mother's _almost_ demise." Lucius said, looking very comfortable.

"I'm not really okay with that kind of deal." James whispered.

Lucius laughed and many of the people in the crowd laughed as well. "Aint that something? Potter is still too arrogant to see that he's outnumbered by people who despise him. Potter, you're not really in a position to make negotiations here. It's either that or my buddy, Gary, slices your throat."

James breathed in and coughed in the process. "Fine."

"What was that?" Lucius leaned in.

"Fine!" James said louder.

Lucius smirked and just at that same moment, a gunshot went off. People screamed and others scattered, running for the hole that James and Damek had crawled through to get there. Lucius glanced around and so did James. They both noticed a fight breaking out in the middle of Lucius' den. It was then that James noticed he was freed because the bigger man had already made his way toward the hole, pushing past people so he could get through first.

James glanced at Lucius who easily slipped through another passage in the walls. Damek gave a mocking salute to James before following Lucius. James was just about to follow them when he felt someone tug on his arm hard. He whirled around, about to punch the person who dared to touch him when he noticed who it was.

"Lily?" He frowned.

She placed her finger against his lips to silence him. "They can still hear."

"What are you…?" He started to ask but her fingers fastened around his lips.

"Come on, I know a better way out than the way you came through." Lily wrapped her hand in his and pulled him along the sides of the cave. James watched in awe as the fight continued, the people completely unaware of he and Lily making their escape.

He turned his attention to what Lily was doing which was feeling up against the wall. "What are we doing?"

"It should be around here somewhere," She spoke more to herself than to him. Finally, she seemed to find what she was looking for because she whispered a soft 'aha' before tugging him along against the wall. It was then he started to notice a scenery change. The cave started to get smaller and smaller and then bigger and bigger. They continued to walk against the wall until Lily's hand fell from his and then... she wasn't there anymore. He turned his head and immediately tried to grab for something.

There was about a fifteen foot drop onto another dirt landing and den kind of area. He swore under his breath and peaked around the corner again to see Lily brushing off her dirty knees and looking up at him expectantly.

"Are you coming?" She asked, irritation clearly in her voice.

"You didn't tell me there were heights involved." James complained, swallowing hard.

"Oh, don't tell me you're afraid of heights, you big baby." She groaned and leaned against the wall so that he couldn't see her. "Just count to ten and jump."

"No… that's just too – too…"

"Spit it out already." Lily rolled her eyes.

"There's more involved than just closing your eyes and jumping. There's risk and - -" James said, aware that he was rambling. He'd never enjoyed heights much before and even in a case like this one, it scared him still.

"The guy who risked his life for absolutely _no_ reason is talking about jumping a baby's height as taking a risk…" Lily drawled, sounding irritated and bored.

James slowly counted to ten in his head before closing his eyes and stepping off of the high landing. He bent his legs and easily landed on his feet. He opened his eyes slowly. The first thing he saw was Lily's dirty, but very well shaped legs in that awfully short jean skirt she always wore. He blinked a few times and chided himself on openly staring at her before looking up into her angry emerald eyes.

"Now that you're down here, do you mind telling me what the _fuck_ are you doing down in the Pit?" Lily asked, pushing herself from the wall and coming to stand in front of him. "You could've gotten yourself killed."

"Nonsense. I was handling it." James replied stubbornly.

"Yeah, because having a knife pressed into your throat is the equivalent of handling it." She let out a deep breath. "While your friends are worrying about you going out and doing something stupid… I had to save you."

James choked a bit. "Excuse me? _You_ saved _me_?" He stepped closer to her. "Yeah, because I was the one who you found high out of my mind on my dorm room bed."

"Ooh, this is _so_ not about me!" She turned her back on him. "This is about you and your unwillingness to let the authorities handle the situation. Remus told me about that jackass lead investigator. I _understand_ having things happen, knowing exactly who did it and wanting nothing more than to shoot that person into the ground. But _trust_ me on this, Lucius _isn't_ your guy."

"Are you sure you're not just saying that because you're sleeping with him?" James narrowed his eyes. "Or you're trying to protect him?"

She whirled on him and slapped him in the face. "How _fucking_ dare you!"

He rubbed his cheek. "Everyone knows that you and he have a drug/sex type of relationship, including me. I'm pretty sure most druggies wouldn't pass up free access to get whatever kind of substance they need to get by during the day just because some guy helped them out _a little_."

"You arrogant son of a bitch!" Lily hissed. "I haven't done drugs _or_ fucked Lucius in weeks, for your information. And I _did_ give up my _"drugs/sex relationship"_ to save your idiotic ass, thank you very much."

"I'm still not too clear on how you saved my uh, 'idiotic ass.'" James cut in.

"I'm the one who shoved the guy who took out his gun and rang out a shot. I initiated the whole thing. I knew people would think shit was about to go down and they'd scatter. I also knew that the guy holding you at knife point wouldn't do shit because he never does and Lucius would have no other option _except_ to run, _including_ Damek." Lily explained.

"So you almost got people killed saving my idiotic ass from a guy you knew wouldn't kill me anyways?" James narrowed his gaze. Her logic was flawed somewhere in there.

"Yeah, you can say thank you at any point now." Lily started to walk past him.

He bumped into her, causing her to turn around. "Where are you going?"

"There's an opening up ahead. It lets us out at the side of the cave. The opening that Lucius and Damek took lets them out directly behind the cave. If we can hurry, we'll be able to cut them off and you can still get your deal, even without an audience."

James frowned. "How do you know?"

Lily laughed softly, shaking her head. "You suck ass at this whole Underground shit, just to let you know."

He folded his arms, defensively. "Well, I'm sorry. I don't deal with crime regularly."

"I can tell."

James didn't know what it was. Maybe it was the way her eyes darkened in the cave, the way her chest heaved up and down with stress, her angry stance, or for weeks now, his growing attraction to the reject of the campus, but he suddenly felt the urge to grab her and fuck her _wildly_. Maybe it was the environment they'd just been in, with people grinding against each other carelessly…

"What the fuck are you waiting for?"

The way he was looking at her made the spot in between her thighs throb. She couldn't keep doing this with him. Sooner or later, one of them was going to end up on the dirt ground getting sexed out of their fucking mind and the way he kept looking at her, she was sure it was going to be him. He had no idea what he was dealing with, coming down to the Pit and almost getting himself killed. She'd noticed him as soon as he'd emerged from the main event, dirty, tired, and damned sexy.

She hadn't anticipated the knife point but had kept it in her mind that in the Pit, almost anything went. She had panicked and in a split second, made the decision. The guy who she'd shoved, she'd noticed earlier while waiting for James and Damek to appear, had favored his left side all night. He'd leaned on it, held his hand over it, and had done his best to protect it. She just put two and two together, recognized that he held a gun and used that bit of information when she needed it most.

From there, it had been just a matter of not getting shot, punched, or stabbed and making sure she got to James after Lucius and Damek disappeared to their private exit from the cave before James got any of the above done to him. He'd helped her out and sure, she'd kind of helped his sister out, but call it pay back directly this time. Except now, he couldn't see where or how he could've ended up.

And now, they were alone in a den of a cave, mostly dark with some small lanterns lighting the rest of the way out and James Potter was looking at her like he wanted to devour her _whole_. There was no way in _hell_ she would get away from this alive. There was no way in hell she would _want_ to get away.

She felt his fingers wrap around the sides of her waist and tug for her to come nearer. She sucked in a breath and tried to resist but he was stronger than she was and so she just walked the few steps until she stood directly in front of him.

"The deal…" She murmured, mesmerized by the occasional light glinting in his eyes.

"It can wait." James answered quietly.

He brushed the hair that fell around her face out of it so that he could see the entirety of her face. It was beautiful. An oval face with full lips, a small nose, and bright eyes. He didn't know what the hell had taken him over to even consider what he was doing but all he knew was that he wanted to taste Lily Evans; once and for all… to see what everyone on campus had talked about, what the guys had been so excited about.

_I'm going to taste you,_ he thought.

He lowered his head and watched with amazement as her eyes fluttered shut and she allowed him to touch her lips with his. It started off slow, like something mesmerizing and unreal at the same time. It had a kind of dizzying effect as their lips caressed one another gently. The fact that they were in a cave, the fact that he had just gotten himself almost murdered, him being who he was and Lily being who she was, all fell away. Everything did except the physical feeling of Lily's soft lips brushing against his.

Lily felt like she'd died and gone to Heaven. Never in her life had she experienced such a light-headed, dizzying feeling of being kissed by the right man before. She'd kissed many men in her lifetime but none felt like this. It wasn't even the fact that James was better than most of them (he was) but it was more of the fact that all of these electrical surges went off when they were around each other and when they met physically, the electrical surges finally just connected and created an explosion.

A good one.

She gasped for air when he released her, her chest heaving up and down. The loss of contact shocked her and she longed to press her lips against his again. His hands still remained on her hips and she focused on not collapsing. Her knees felt weak and she was sure that if he wasn't holding her as firmly as he was, she would sway back and forth and finally just topple over. Then she would grab him and…

"What was that?" She whispered, glancing at his lips and chiding herself not to kiss him again.

"A thank you." He whispered back, before leaning down and brushing his lips against hers briefly. Just as she closed her eyes to enjoy the feeling of that pressure, he pulled back.

"Thank you."

* * *

**A/N:** Pretty long chapter, eh? 14 pages… I usually only do 6-9 pages, depending on how each of the individual plots fall into place. This one had a lot that needed to be established all at around the same time. 

Big events… um… James almost gets himself killed.

The main characters hire Moody and other investigators to see about the drive-by. That's be our action plot.

We find out that Lucius isn't the main guy but knows _something_.

We get a glimpse of James's parents' relationship.

We learn about a place called the Pit (will be very important approaching our big crisis).

And… James and Lily share their first kiss. Always an excitement. And things for them after this will only get hotter.

Thank you again to everyone who reviewed last chapter. Still sorry I wasn't able to get this one out as quickly as I wanted.

I don't think I would've ever gotten this one out if it hadn't been for the reviews. I would've stayed stuck.

But, please do continue to review.


	11. About Curiosities and New Players

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Curiosities and New Players

**Chapter Began:** Tuesday, March 27, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Sunday, April 1, 2007

**Chapter Published: **Sunday, April 1, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Warning:** _Very_ mature. You've been warned.

**Author's Note: **Thank you for your generous reviews. I'm happy that this story is a favorite to some of you. I could write without the amazing comments but its just _way_ more fun this way, you know? A couple of things before some of you read this chapter and go, 'what the…?' A mild to _huge_ (just to save myself) warning on this chapter. Things are going to pick up in this one in _all_ aspects of the story. Explicit and disturbing scenes and obviously strong language… if you're not a fan of those words, I suggest you wait for the next update. However, this chapter is an important installment of this story so if you miss it, oops. Your decision to make, though. I'm just putting it out there. And if you want to read all the way up to where things might disturb you, I've put a CAPS warning just above where things get inappropriate.

This one is for everyone :)

* * *

**Chapter Ten: About Curiosities and New Players**

_I was raised up to show no fear_

_Cowardly hearts will never last long here_

_If you aint man enough to make shit clear_

_Guaranteed you'll get blown away_

_I done seen the block break down tears_

_And I done seen the cops break my peers_

_Trying to hold on a couple more years_

_Trying not to get blown away_

_--- Akon_

_She felt the heat resonating over the partying crowd in the club. She glanced around from her spot at one of the bar stools, noting that the people didn't seem to care about the people they were grinding themselves mindlessly against, that the people didn't seem to care about the sweat, the smell, or anything that the world she'd just left, cared about. First stepping over the threshold into the partying world was something like a reverse cleansing. People **needed** to dirty themselves before even considering accepting the life of parties and drinking, smoking and sex. _

_This was one of her first nights being shown the "good life." She'd witnessed the bad parts first and after much persuasion on Lucius' part, she'd resolved that she'd see what this "good life" had to offer her. _

_She nodded. **Pretty damn good. **_

"_What would you like, Sweetie?" _

_Lily whirled around and almost jumped when she saw the bartender mere inches from her face. She covered her heart as he leaned back and let out a soft laugh. She frowned, wondering what the big joke was but realized that she had just reacted so overtly, so like someone had crept up on her and attacked her. She shook her head, letting her hand fall to her sides and she shrugged. _

"_What do you have?" She asked, realizing then that she sounded like an amateur. _

"_She'll have a coke and rum…" A voice said from behind her. _

_Lily turned and saw a man only probably 5'10 with dark hair and attractive blue eyes coming to take a seat next to hers, glancing at her with a smirk. "Who the hell are you?"_

_The man looked at the bartender. "And I'll have the same."_

_The bartender glanced between Lily and the newcomer before nodding and going off to do his job. _

_Lily glared at the man sitting next to her. "I asked you a---"_

"_Chelsea Kiaz and you are?" The man held out his hand smoothly. _

_She disregarded his hand and continued to glare. "None of your goddamn business."_

_Chelsea whistled. "Temper, hmm?" _

_She gave him a sarcastic smile. "It happens when someone assumes that they know what I want."_

_The bartender came back, setting down their drinks. _

_Chelsea took his and stood up. He leaned in close to Lily, his lips brushing against the outer shell of her right ear and whispered, "I was doing you a favor. I'll be expecting **something** in return." _

_With that, he pushed his way through the crowd with his drink, leaving her there blushing deep red. _

…

_She pushed her way out of some back door she'd found while perusing the perimeters of the club. She'd needed air and after searching for many minutes trying to find her only connection in the goddamn club which was Lucius, she'd finally given up and decided that if he really wanted to know where she was, he'd be more than welcome to search for her. _

_She leaned against the brick wall of the building, taking in several deep breaths. This life was nothing like the one she'd left. This one appeared to her like an amusement park. All of the rides were free once people were accepted in as long as they had one of those wrist bands so they could go on the rides as many times as they'd like. There were games and food, prizes and fun houses. People were free to roam about, littering and splashing messy drinks on the once beautiful, clean pavement. It was okay; someone **else** would clean the mess. _

_She leaned her head back further, feeling the effects of the alcohol leave her. She felt very tired. Lucius had promised her that he'd watch out for her tonight but just like every other time, she'd come and he'd stay for a little while but then get caught up in his own affairs. Tonight, he talked about doing business with some "imbecile who was soon to be his enemy." Lily had shivered at the coldness in Lucius' voice the way she did when her step-dad talked about "putting her out." She closed her eyes at the way her brain shut down suddenly on the thoughts of her step-dad. She turned her head to the side and opened her eyes again, hearing something suddenly crash and voices. _

"_Who's there?" She managed to whisper. _

_She waited. _

_No one. _

_She pushed herself away from the hard surface of the building and followed the sounds. She turned a corner and immediately stepped back around the building so that she could just barely peek around to see what was going on. Judging by the feeling of the meeting before her eyes, Lily assumed at that point that Lucius liked to do his business in alleyways. She frowned and tried really hard to listen. _

"_Peter Pettigrew…" Lucius' voice hissed coldly. "I am going to ask you, **again**. Where the bleeding **fuck** is my keys?" _

_Lily winced; never hearing Lucius spit malice at another human being before so angrily. He always appeared calm, cool, and collected. That was what had first attracted Lily to Lucius in the first place. His cool gentle exterior, the way he talked to her as if she were glass prepared to be dropped. She'd needed that before her step-dad had---_

"_I-I-I-I d-d-d-don't kn-kn-know, L-L-Lucius." _

_Lily narrowed her eyes, trying to get a good look at the… the man **whimpering** on the ground in front of Lucius. She could only see the back of his head as he was facing in the opposite direction of Lily while Lucius was facing her but obviously not seeing her. The man on the ground though shook and was obviously scared. Lily's hands clenched, a defense mechanism in her working itself through her body. _

"_You do, though!" Lucius exclaimed, sounding mad. _

"_P-P-P-Please…" The man named Peter Pettigrew begged, chancing a look up at the blonde man standing powerfully and comfortably in front of him. "I-I-I wish I c-c-could help y-you." _

_Lucius waved that off. "Nonsense, Peter, you wish you didn't caught. I can spot a coward when I see one; so can **he**."_

"_F-Forgive me?" _

_Lucius let out a cold laugh and for once, acknowledged the rest of the crew standing around them, **his** crew. He nodded and one of the guys in the group walked forward, brought his arm back, and smashed Peter Pettigrew upside the head, effectively knocking the smaller man out against the pavement. _

_Lily gasped and leaned back out of view. Her hands clasped around her mouth when she realized the sound she'd made. Her chest heaved up and down and she was about to turn and head for the door when she bumped into a body and jumped back. She immediately glanced up and her heart pounding increased. It was Lucius. _

"_Lily honey, what are you doing back here?" His voice was back to being sweet and gentle. _

_She frowned, very confused. "I, um, I was, uh, looking for a bit of fresh air and I…"_

"_How much did you see?" Lucius' voice was soft but his eyes were hard when she looked into them, finding herself wondering how she got here. She was moving too fast. _

_She tried to look innocent. "N-not much, you know? A little here, a little---"_

"_Lily, it's important you tell no one what you saw. Do you understand me?" Lucius asked, lifting her chin with his index finger. _

_She nodded slowly and opened her mouth to ask, "But, but what – was – that… anyways?" _

_Lucius' grey-blue eyes darkened suddenly and she saw immediate lines etched in his face, angry lines that were deep and natural. "Don't ask questions. **I** do that, **you** answer mine." _

_She frowned again. Where was the kind, gentle Lucius that had saved her from her step-dad? Where was the man who'd just graduated from college who had been ready to answer any question she had, honestly and protectively? Now, even his voice seemed hard, cold against the softness he'd shown her over the last few months. _

"_Lucius---" She started to say but he whirled on her, hot rage and all. _

_She wasn't prepared for the blow she would receive seconds later, making her stumble against the wall and look at Lucius in shock, in hurt. At that moment, staring into cold grey-blue eyes, she realized that because she'd seen the entirety of this world, of the amusement park world, the good and now the bad, she could no longer go back to pretending it didn't exist. The workers there had caught sight of her and they would remember her face. _

"_Silence!" He shouted and lifted his hand again to strike her. _

… ****

... WARNING: DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY STRONG LANGUAGE AND/OR SEXUAL CONTENT ...

Lily sat up in bed, gasping for air.

It was a few minutes before she gained the courage to look around at her surroundings. She noticed that it was still very dark out, that she was sitting up in a bed with nice sheets, pillows, and bedspread. She felt her hands rub against each other and felt the dampness in her palms stick to her fingers as she inspected if there were any cuts or bruises. Her hands went up to cup her cheeks to where she _swore_ she felt the smack that she'd had in her dream.

The dream though wasn't _really_ a dream. It had been real life… two years earlier when she'd been just seventeen. Lily pulled the covers off of her and swung her legs around to touch the ground. Two years earlier, she'd believed that her life couldn't have gotten any more complicated, that Lucius was a generous, _good_ man, and she'd been still living with her step-dad. She shook her head and stood out of bed.

It was then she remembered the night before.

And then she remembered where she'd been.

And then she remembered that she _was_, in fact, in James's apartment _again_.

She tried to tip-toe out of the guest room and bumped her shoulder against the doorframe. She glared at the doorframe before continuing on into the hallway. She glanced back at the living room where she'd planned on going to next, hoping that a beautiful view of the city lights at night and a comfy sofa with _maybe_ some quiet television would take her mind off of the dream she'd just woken from.

But, instead, she got another idea and doubled back, recognizing that only once before had she ventured into _this_ section of his apartment. The only room in _this_ section was _his_ bedroom. He'd said hours earlier that he might not even stay the night, might catch some fresh air or go down to the cages to play basketball. In her mind, she thought him _crazy_ and prayed that angry neighboring apartments next to that cage wouldn't wake up and call the police from the noise. So maybe she'd "explore" a little, get a real feel of him through his room.

She gently, _quietly_ pushed the bedroom door open and nearly jumped back with a heart attack when she discovered he _hadn't_ gone out to get fresh air or gone to play basketball. She let out a breath of disappointment. She should've just turned back and walked into the living room to resume her initial plan of relaxation and cleansing of her mind but she didn't. If you asked her hours later why, she couldn't tell you. She was "curious."

She walked into his room quietly, noting the different trophies and awards on his far wall. She glanced around, trying not to make a sound but noticing a huge walk-in closet stuffed to capacity. The light in the closet was still on and pouring through so that it touched sections of his giant bed. Her eyes, as much as she told them not to, traveled up the sheets to where James lay sprawled out like a… dead _bird_ or something… on his back, his legs and arms casually falling off the sides of his bed. The sheets folded itself around his lower body. She gulped when she recognized then that his chest was bare.

_Lily, turn right back around_, her mind chided her but she found herself walking to stand right beside his bed. Apparently, she was curious about more than one thing.

She watched as his chest heave up and down and his lower body shift slightly, lifting itself up and then down. She swallowed again, trying not to connect that movement with something a little more sexual. Her hands itched to touch his face which was now frowning and his lips which parted just slightly. She ran her hand through her hair, as a means for it to do _something_ other than creep along James's abdominal muscles and chest. She decided she liked James's abs better than Sirius's at that moment. Sirius had abs that bulged out but was very well sculptured and James… well, James had a flat tummy with distinct lines running through his stomach that screamed "I'm an eight pack!"

She giggled a little at the joke in her head and her heart almost stopped in her chest. He shifted again, an 'I might wake up' kind of shift. She would be completely embarrassed if he woke up to find her standing over him like some kind of sick freak trying to get a… yeah, she knew she would _definitely_ not be welcome anymore.

He'd offered her the guest room again as another "thanks."

She immediately licked her lips at the thought of the word.

_The kiss. _

Now more than ever, she wished she were brave enough to explore _him_.

It was then she found herself sitting on the side edge of his bed. The bed dipped and he moved slightly but still wasn't wakened. He must be a deep sleeper. He moaned something incoherent and she rolled her eyes, sensing the sexual intent behind the sound.

_Or he's just having a really good dream._

She glanced down his body. Her hands lifted and then fell against her lap. She shook her head, stifling the dry laugh ready to erupt from her throat. There was no way that she could touch him and get away with it. It was fucking _ridiculous_ to think so. He would wake up and he'd freak, kick her out on her ungrateful ass, and she'd be right back where she started before this whole thing with him even began.

But…

There was this other side of her, pushing for a little something touchy. This voice was telling her to seize the moment, explore until it's out of reach. She bit her lip, wondering what it would feel like to ride James in the middle of the night, to feel his length thrusting in and out of her, pleasuring her even more so than his lips did last night. Remembering the kiss, the kiss _he_ had initiated, she told herself that if he kicked her out, it was okay. She would do what she could for as long as she could before he decided that enough was enough.

_Yes_, she thought as her hand took hold of the sheet wrapped messily around James's waist and slowly pulled it down his body. Her eyes widened when she realized that no piece of cloth were coming to greet her. He was _all_ _stag_. She tried not to drool on his stomach as she leaned in a little, slowly pulling down the sheet so that it was completely off of him. She had to gulp _again_. He was _big_. Bigger than Lucius… bigger than Sirius… bigger than… a lot of guys she'd done in the past. And he was growing _still_.

She glanced back and saw that he was still dreaming. He kept lifting his hips up and down, rotating them left and right. She had been right. He was probably having a wet dream. Part of her was excited for him because she got to see the extent at which _he_ got excited and it inevitably turned _her_ on. The other part of her was disappointed. He was probably having some fantasy about his girlfriend or some other equally stunningly beautiful girl that he was acquaintances with.

She was just about to grumpily put down the sheets again to cover him when she heard him whimper. She glanced at him, frowning. Out of all of the times she'd been with men, only a few had whimpered. He sounded desperate in his sleep because his frown deepened and his lips parted more. She wondered what woman, what _powerful_ woman could bring _this_ good, gorgeous man to whimper like he was losing her.

"Lily…" His voice sounded tortured but aroused.

Her eyes narrowed and her body suddenly snapped back, bumping into his side table loudly.

"Fuck!" She whispered harshly, rubbing her back and standing up suddenly. She glanced down to see if _that_ had woken James up. She watched in horror as her green eyes met his eyes which flashed in the night, first confused and then something else entirely. She didn't know what it was, she didn't have time. She immediately bolted out of his room, her feet pounding desperately across his wooden floor. She heard her name behind her but she tried with all she could to just keep walking.

"Lily, wait up!"

She felt his arm spin her around and next… next, she felt lips bruising hers violently. Was it her that attacked his mouth or had he pulled another one of his surprises and kissed her? The way she was ravaging his mouth, pulling the hair in the back of his head and moaning between their tongues dueling wildly, she guessed when he had spun her around, she immediately went for the gold, attacking him first. She might be embarrassed later but for now, she enjoyed the feeling of him pressing her hard against the wall in his hallway, _naked_ from head to toe.

She scraped her nails against his chest, rubbing herself against his full on erection like a wild thing. He groaned, poising his hands on either side of her head as she continued to rake her nails up and down his muscled upper body. One of her hands lowered to his cock, stroking with assured pumps. She watched as he closed his eyes and then opened them again, his eyes glazed over with passion.

"Lily, don't…"

She touched her finger to his lips and he stopped. She reached up for one of his hands slowly, maintaining eye contact all the while, and placed his hand over her cheek. His thumb gently caressed her cheek and any other time, she would enjoy the feeling of _James Potter_ showing _her_ some affection but now, heat spread itself throughout her entire body, pouring into her already damp panties. She sucked on each of his fingers slowly before placing that hand on her breast. She thrust her breast into his palm when he didn't do anything right away and leaned her upper body against the wall more so that her lower body connected more with his naked lower body.

"One of us…" He breathed, both his hands now massaging her breasts. "Has too many clothes on…"

She leaned up and caught him in a heated kiss again. Her tongue ran along his lips and the inside of his mouth before she pulled back, gasping for air. "Then I guess _someone_ needs to help me out of them."

He leaned his head down and gave her a sloppy kiss on the neck before bending down before her. She shivered a little when she felt his hands run up her calves, her thighs and higher into the apex of her legs. She felt his thumbs hook on the waistband of her panties before she felt the fabric slide down her legs. She slowly stepped out of them and almost fell over when she felt a hot mouth press into her heated center.

"Gods, James…" She groaned in pleasure, her hand falling to thread itself in his hair.

She felt his tongue swirl around and around, pushing and then letting up. He repeated that motion and she fought really hard for her knees not to buckle underneath her. He seemed to hold her in place though with his mouth as his tongue pressed into her most sensitive spot. Her hands itched to do something more than massage through his hair so she gave his hair a tug and she looked down at him through hooded eyes, breathing in and out. She saw him smirk a little and try to go down on her again. Only this time, she tugged again before he could touch her.

"Too much for you?" He whispered, standing up again.

She squealed when he lifted her up. Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist as he stumbled into his room again and to his side table to search through the drawer there. Finally finding what he was looking for, he collapsed on the bed with her underneath him. He kissed and nipped his way down her throat and chest just before she found his hand that held the rubber and she took the rubber away from him. He glanced up at her and she licked her lips, sending him a heated stare before leaning down and slipping the rubber over his hard-on.

"Can't wait?" James quipped and she smirked, shoving him so that he lied on his back now.

He groaned as she came to straddle his waist, her moist opening centimeters from his erection. She teased him there, her fingernails scraping along his chest. His hands grabbed at her hips and as one, they thrust against each other, completing the act. James groaned as Lily threw her head back, closing her eyes and savoring the feeling of James completing her. They stayed like that without moving before Lily looked down at James who she found staring passionately back at her through lust-filled eyes and rocked back and forth slowly.

One of James's hands came up to cup and tease Lily's nipple. She moaned his name in the back of her throat, a sort of guttural sound escaping her. She came to sit down on him more firmly. She leaned down and kissed him again, this kiss speaking everything that they weren't, that their eyes were but needing more physical contact to really speak the full length of. She leaned back again, feeling James's cock quivering inside of her, aware that they were both about to come very, _very_ soon.

She bounced more urgently on top of him, her fingernails still raking along his chest and abdominal muscles, feeling the inevitable but wonderful waves wash over her, sending her and James into a frenzy of jerky movements and loud moans. The bed could be heard rocking violently against the wall. She collapsed on him, feeling the waves pass through, bliss washing over her and then slowly dissipating into the darkness. She felt James's soft dick still inside of her but she was still too exhausted to roll off of him.

They stayed like that for a while, with her on top of him, while they breathed in the scent of their wild mating. Finally she rolled off of him onto her back and stared up at the bare ceiling above them. She didn't dare sneak a glance at James in fear that he would recognize what had just happened and so would start the kicking out process. Again.

Only James lay beside her thinking the same thing. He'd been so shocked when he first awoke from his dream, mostly because the loud bang had woken him but to see Lily above him when he'd just been having sexual dreams about her? It had felt surreal. When she had bolted from his room, he'd only followed her to explain the awkward situation but had been _doubly_ surprised when he'd spun her around. She'd immediately attacked him and with the dream still fresh in his mind, who was he to turn down such an offer? Such a blatant sexual request? He'd had time to push her away but she was just so freakin' _good_ at what they were doing, he couldn't have stopped her. _Couldn't_ have. _Not_ wouldn't have. Or didn't want to. _Couldn't have._

He felt the bed dip and realized she was sitting up. Before even thinking, he sat up as well and touched her shoulder. She flinched and he frowned, pulling his hand back and focusing on looking at her for any signs of… well, _anything._ "I'm sorry."

She looked back at him quickly as if she forgot he was there. "What? Oh…" She whispered in the darkness. "I-It wasn't exactly er, _entirely_ your fault."

As far as he could see, it wasn't _any_ of his fault. He'd been the victim. She _attacked_ him. _She_ attacked him. He would repeat that to himself in the morning when the guilt washed over him and he swam in that whirlpool of wonder of his act that had occurred tonight. "No… it was some of _yours_ too."

"What?" She stood up, frowning. "How the fuck was it some of _my_ fault?"

"Um…" He said, standing up as well, feeling the sarcasm easily wash over him. "I'm pretty sure you're the one who started it."

"Actually, I'm 'pretty sure' that I heard _my_ name in your very kinky dream. _You_ started it." Lily said, knowing it was crazy that they were arguing but she needed something so that she didn't need to think about the feeling, the _amazing_ feeling of having sex with James fucking Potter.

"And why exactly were you in my bedroom in the first place?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I-I-I was… um…" She struggled for the right words. "What does it matter anyways? We fucked and now we can just, you know, get the fuck over it."

She tried to walk away but he tugged at her arm. When she whirled on him, he snatched his hand away, remembering what had happened the last time she had felt an arm on her. She noticed the way he pulled back and she tried to look away to hide the hurt. Of course he wouldn't want a repeat performance of just a few minutes ago. He probably already felt like he had rolled around in enough mud to dirt him for the rest of his _life_. Of course he didn't want a second go. Even though, she was _already_ feeling for another…

"James, what are you trying to do with this?"

"Why were you in my room?"

Her hands twitched, annoyed. "I had a… I had a bad dream."

His eyebrows rose and God _help_ him, if he fucking laughed at her, she would kick the _shit_ out of him _regardless_ of how good he felt inside of her. "You mean a nightmare?"

She shrugged nonchalantly.

"_Okay_," He said slowly, unsure of what to say or do next.

"It was stupid and I _know_ that and I shouldn't have come into your bedroom and I know that." She gave him a quick smile before it wore off just as quickly. "I get it now."

"What was---?" He started to say but the phone rang, interrupting him.

He stopped and watched as she stepped away from him.

"You should get that," She whispered before she walked away from him, out of his bedroom.

He swallowed before turning to pick up the phone by his bed.

"Hello?" He answered harshly.

…

"Sirius, you heard Moody," Remus sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Stop harassing the suspect."

Sirius sent both Remus and Bella a crooked grin before he turned back to the black haired man cuffed to the back of the chair. Sirius got a funny feeling about this man. He was dressed in all black, his hair and eyes were black as a… _black hole_… and there was more to it too, he swore. This man could be _the_ man who initiated Annette's drive-by incident. Plus, this man smelled funny too. Yup, Sirius didn't like him one bit.

"You pathetic lot," The man seethed, his eyes narrowing.

Sirius leaned down so that he was eye level with the man and gave a cold smile. "What? Are you going to cast a spell on me?"

The darker dressed man grinned evilly. "Das esquinas escuras desta terra, ordeno que você ingira cobras."

Sirius's smile wore off. "Wh-what was that?"

Remus looked bored and answered, "'Of the dark corners of this land, I order that you ingest snakes.'"

Sirius turned to the other man and lifted his arm. "Why, _you little_…"

"Sirius, don't. Not until James gets here." Bella yawned.

"James is here."

The three unchained people turned to see James and Moody walking into the Private Investigator lobby. Bella frowned as she saw that her brother looked a little disoriented but who could blame him? She sent a glare in Moody's direction, remembering the late middle-of-the-night phone call she and Sirius had received back at her dorm room. When they had informed him they were available at any time, they hadn't necessarily meant _all_ hours. But looking at the man chained to the chair, all dark and scary, Bella had to give Moody and his team some credit. They might have their suspect.

"So, who are we dealing with?" James asked as they walked down to the back to where the rest of the group was.

"He's---" Moody started to explain but Sirius interrupted him.

"We don't know because the bleeding idiotic fellow won't tell us his appropriate name!" He slapped James on the back. "How you doin', mate?"

James gave his best friend a quick smile before looking at Moody. "Is this true?"

Moody's eyes darkened. "For a while he was giving us the name _Half-Blood Prince_ but our team was able to get some fingerprints, plus Fletcher over there has some ins with the FBI and LAPD. We were able to tag him."

James gave Moody a look. "And…?"

"You were able to identify him?" Remus asked, looking truly awake for the first time that night.

"That is pretty good for a nonprofit organization." Bella said, folding her arms and listening carefully.

"So," James asked impatiently, "Who is this guy?" He glanced over at the man who snarled at him before looking away. "Did you find out if he worked for Lucius?"

"Severus Snape." Moody said, his voice lowering meaningfully. "Been caught in possession of black-market drugs for years now. Evidence higher than this ceiling. We were able to track him down by---"

"Moody," Sirius said seriously, "Just give us the details that matter. Does he or doesn't he work for Lucius?"

Moody sighed. "My team wasn't able to find that much information. We won't, until he's willing to talk."

"_Willing_?" Bella quirked an eyebrow and Moody gave a brief nod. She clenched her fists together before walking over to the man named Severus Snape and slapping him full on in the face. "Tell us what we freaking want to know, you annoying prick!"

Remus was the first to reach her, prying her off of Snape. "Bella…"

"No, he's wasting our goddamn time with this." Bella shrugged Remus' hands off of her shoulders. "If what he knows matches our investigation, he should be _made_ to tell us."

"I wish that was the way these things went but unfortunately, those who are guilty are protected just as much as those who are innocent. We can't suddenly change the rules just because we think someone's guilty. He deserves to plead the fifth until he gets a lawyer." Moody explained.

James sighed, running a hand through his hair, suddenly wishing he were back in his apartment with… he shook his head and looked at Moody. "When will that be?"

Moody shrugged. "Early this morning, later on in the day. Who knows?"

Remus cleared his throat, frowning. "I'm sorry but if you knew we couldn't do anything then how come you called us up?"

Moody gave a crooked smile. "I thought by seeing our first suspect, you might be able to tell if you've seen him around on your college campus. Maybe at parties or---"

"He doesn't look the type to go to college." Bella shook her head, frowning in disgust at Snape.

"I suppose you're right then…" Moody said, sighing.

The younger adults started to walk toward the lobby, leaving Snape who sent them angry glares, trying really hard to somehow get out of the metal chains binding him to the metal chair. Moody glared at Snape.

"You better not try anything funny over there." Moody warned.

…

"I still can't believe he called us up in the middle of the night." Bella huffed.

The four decided that they would walk down to _Betty & Lois' Breakfast Parlor_. It would open in only twenty minutes and all of them were pretty hungry. It had been Bella's idea when Sirius's loud belly grumbled and made the other three give him weird looks. And even though Sirius and Remus had their cars with them, the breakfast joint was only a block or two away from the Station.

"How did you get here anyways?" James asked, frowning at Bella confused. "You don't have a car."

Sirius swallowed and answered for her. "Um, I drove her, Prongs."

"But---" James started to say but Bella interrupted him.

"I, um, had a nightmare," Bella started, looking for Sirius or Remus to come to her rescue but they just looked at her blankly. "And Sirius had um, been out walking and he came to my um, dorm room and---"

"Nightmare…" James said as more of a statement than a question, suddenly looking away.

"Yeah, funny thing, really," Bella said, laughing awkwardly. "But yeah, uh, Sirius---"

"Guys, I, um," James started to say, stopping and making the group stop as well. "I just remembered. I have… something."

"Yeah, don't we all," Remus sighed, looking sadly down at the pavement.

"Hey, when I called you, mate, you sounded kind of upset or---" Sirius said, frowning.

"Nightmare." James quickly said, backing away from the group. "I got to go. Call me if you find out anything else."

"Oh, alright, Prongs," Sirius said, sounding unsure.

The three watched James bolt down the street before taking a right onto another street, disappearing out of sight.

"_Phew_, that was _close_," Bella breathed, leaning her head against Sirius's hard chest.

"Yeah, close…" Remus said quietly before walking ahead of the two toward their destination.

…

James quietly closed his apartment door behind him, trying really hard not to make a sound. Just in case if Lily was sleeping. It didn't take him long to figure out that she hadn't left as he thought she might while he was gone. He tried to ignore the feeling of relief at that and walked into the living room to look at the redhead staring out over the city, the lights in the skyscrapers becoming dim with the morning light dawning over the surfaces of the buildings. She didn't turn to him or acknowledge him as he slowly walked to stand beside her on the balcony.

"I'm sorry about that." He whispered. "I uh… the PI investigating my mother's drive-by incident found his first suspect. Although it was kind of---"

She suddenly turned to him and he stopped talking. Her eyes were bright green and her red hair blew gently around her face. If he was honest and not a coward, he could say that she looked just like every other girl he passed on his way to one of the classes he was T.A for and that she was pretty, _very_ pretty. Over the last two months, she'd filled out, her skin shone a bit of a tan and she looked healthier despite the couple of weeks gone by not spent in his apartment.

"Anyways, I wanted to ask you," James said when he realized that she wasn't going to say anything. "About the dream that you had. About uh, why you came to _me_."

She swallowed and looked away.

He wondered if she would ever be completely healthy. Sure, her body was getting healthier but that mind that had stored so much information about the Underground's world and the people in it… they had left scars, permanent ones. Was it his right to ask those kinds of questions? She deserved something better than him but if he was honest with himself, _really_ honest, the reason she lashed out at him was because she knew he thought he was better than her. And she thought he was right.

"Why did you just apologize?" Lily asked, chancing a glance his way.

He sighed, shrugging. "I feel like I should be."

"Don't." Lily said quickly. When he sent her a questioning look, she smiled a bit. "It was nice."

"It?" He raised an eyebrow and when she blushed, turning away from him, he felt his length harden at the memory. Once --- last night was an easy mistake. He promised himself he wouldn't do it again. Twice, he would really be making the conscious decision to do _it_ again. On the one hand, he felt like he was taking advantage of her, using her. His problem remained the same as it had always been. This woman would go _nowhere_. She seemed to have no future. _He_ had no future with _her_. It was wrong.

"Please," She rolled her eyes in the direction of his bulging arousal. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about."

"I know what you're saying." He said quietly, not looking at her but at the cement at his feet. He knew exactly what she was saying and he'd be damned to hell if he followed through _again_ with his---_their_ desires. He was in control now. He could say no, could turn away and continue their very uncomfortable, very _awkward_ conversation.

_Or_ he could shut the both of them up and take her to his bed, or the kitchen table, or his shower, or the sofa in his living room. Shit, he was losing control. He glanced to see if she noticed and by the crimson red cheeks and the rapid blinking, he took it that she got the message loud and _clear_. _He_ could walk away. He _could_ walk away.

He swallowed when his eyes perused down her neck to where he had suckled and nibbled there just a couple of hours ago. His eyes traveled lower and he fought the urge to groan at the tightening in his groin at the sight of her full, firm breasts and the rosy peaks pushing against the soft fabric of her tank top. His hands clenched, fighting the urge not to reach out and twist and tease those rosy buds any further.

His eyes fell down further to her soft, flat tummy and to the apex of her thighs where she just wore panties. He narrowed his eyes when he saw that her legs were quivering and when he glanced up again into her eyes, he saw that she was looking at him with passion, fear, and confusion. He realized that her eyes mirrored what his probably were and he stepped to her, not knowing why or how come. They were purely physical. She was all physical and raw, emotional and wild while he was physical but mental and psychological, cool and watery. Water calmed fire but fire could be set atop water as well.

"James, if you---"

She gasped when he suddenly leaned down and caught her in a searing passionate kiss. He needed this, wanted this but wasn't sure why. He'd volunteered to have her stay at his apartment without ever knowing why he had. Then, to top it off, when she'd walked away, he'd invited her back with the promise of more, of food, of shelter, of showers, and of comfort. Then _yet again_, he'd invited her back a _third_ time when _she_ had walked out on _him_. She was a mystery in his life that he resolved to some day solving soon. He'd figure out his ties to this unbalanced and unstable girl and then he'd solve it before… before _what_?

"Gods, Lily," He moaned as she leaned up and took his ear in her mouth and nibbled. The sensation felt wonderful and her hands splayed out over his chest, massaging as she had done last night. Her hands wandered lower until she cupped him and stroked him. He lowered his head and caught her lower lip between his teeth before tugging at it playfully.

She giggled softly and leaned her head back. He tried to recapture her lips but she only smiled teasingly and arched her back in a way that made him fantasize about her stretching in all kinds of flexible positions. She could probably bend herself in a way that resembled a pretzel while _still_ finding ways to pleasure him. Maybe they'd try that later on…

"Mm…" She hummed, satisfied as his erection quivered in her hand through the fabric of his sweat pants. "Someone," She pressed a kiss to his jaw line, "Has," She placed a kiss on the other side of his jaw line, "Too," A kiss to his lips and he suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her up and feeling her hands drag away from his most needing body part at the moment. He deepened the kiss before she pushed away from him with her hands. "Many clothes on."

He grinned, already making his way into his living room, feeling her legs tighten around his waist and her tongue swirling just behind his ear. "Then I guess someone needs to help me out of them."

He gently threw her on his sofa and smiled when he heard her giggle underneath him.

"I guess so." She moaned at the back of her throat when she felt him settle between her legs.

_I guess so.

* * *

_

**A/N:** Whoa, huh? Hopefully, I warned you guys enough with the regular warning, the author's note at the beginning of this chapter and the big WARNING before the scene of Lily deciding to "explore" James a bit more. Oh yeah, and I've been saying things are only going to "heat up" between them for the last two chapters. What'd ya think?

Peter Pettigrew _and_ Severus Snape in this chapter with James/Lily sex. Kind of intense. This won't be the last time you see our mousy friend Wormtail in this story either. Obviously the same goes for Snape. The upcoming chapters will be a blend of what you've been seeing recently in the chapters I've been writing and the light-heartedness of what you saw kind of _er_ in the beginning… I just mean with the not having an investigation plot… it'll be there but we'll lighten that up a bit due to the need of really pushing the James/Lily relationship ark further toward the _real_ showdown of this story. It should just get better from here but let me know what you guys think.

Contrary to popular belief, the Sirius/Bella relationship ark does somehow tie into the main point of this entire story but for me, it's been kind of hard writing them in with so much going on at this point. This is why I'm taking a step back from the investigation for a little while.

We'll get back to the roots of this story which is James and Lily and how they'll manage their new "relationship." It won't be easy but they'll think it will be. Caitlen will be appearing again (in a very obvious, very _predictable_ fashion) and screwing around with the fragility of James's new "secret relationship" with the reject of the campus. If I'm planning all of this right, the nine subplots and runners I have going will fall nicely and in step with the main plot of this story and the outcome should be understandable, less confusing, and good for you guys.

Anyways, let me know with those reviews what you guys thought.

Oh yeah, and the language Snape spoke was random but it was Portuguese.


	12. About Countertops and Clothes

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Countertops and Clothes

**Chapter Began:** Sunday, April 1, 2007

**Chapter Finished: **Friday, April 6, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Friday, April 6, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Warning:** _Very_ mature. You've been warned.

**Author's Note: **Another big warning for this chapter, maybe even more so than last chapter. Things are racy as James and Lily have upped their situation in sexual standards. They're going all out now so if this offends you, I recommend you wait again until next chapter. Things should lighten up again after this chapter but sometimes, who knows?

I want to thank everyone who reviewed for last chapter and gave me their input on James and Lily's new relationship. It meant more than you guys know. _Especially_ delving into new territory. It was really lovely to have the support.

This chapter is dedicated to anyone who's in a relationship with someone they deeply love. May everyone find something as wonderful as that.

**Chapter Eleven: About Countertops and Clothes**

_You're my little secret_

_And that's how we should keep it_

_It's on everybody's mind, about you and I_

_They think so but they don't really know_

_Or want to know that_

_You're my little secret_

_--- Xscape_

**AGAIN, IF STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT OR LANGUAGE BOTHERS YOU, SKIP OVER THIS CHAPTER AND READ THE NEXT**

"---with peanut butter and hurry up!" She heard him call to her.

Lily giggled, stumbling into the kitchen and bumping her knee against the chair.

"_Owe_." She glared down at the red spot already forming on her kneecap. She rubbed at it as if it would go away faster before continuing on her quest to find the items James had instructed her to find. She discovered that he loved making different ice cream mixes but his favorite was vanilla ice cream topped with a touch of peanut butter and chocolate syrup. It sounded yummy and he'd promised her that he'd teach her how to make his other favorites.

_I'm going to have ice cream in bed with James Potter_, she thought to herself in wonder. How did she go from dodging sketchy men in her dorm room and being a toss-around chick at frat parties to sharing food with James Potter in his bed? She had no clue on where to start answering _that_ question. She had many curiosities, many "_but…_" thoughts to think through; however, this feeling felt too good to mull over the idea of it not being true or long-lasting. Lily had had _too_ much experience in things coming and going too quickly.

She opened the freezer and ignored the cool air that swiftly blew out of it past her quivering legs and bent down to take the vanilla ice cream carton out. It wasn't as if Lucius hadn't treated her this way, making her feel comfortable and at home _sometimes_, but Lily knew Lucius had many other girls on the side. She never wondered much if things were serious with Lucius or not because things were never serious with him in _that_ way, at least.

She knew that James, on the other hand, wouldn't harvest six or seven girls in his bed, alternating them through the nights and sharing with them his favorite ice cream flavors. She thought it silly that she'd compare James to Lucius because they were _nothing_ alike but it was the only thing Lily had to go by. Besides, she always saw James as a one woman kind of guy, anyways. She tried not to dwell too much on her eagerness at possibly being his one. Did this mean that they were together now? Would he formally introduce her as his girlfriend or… she shook her head, his _lover_? What _was_ she to him?

"Hey," She heard a gentle voice from behind her.

She turned and saw James rubbing his hand through his messy hair. He only wore his black boxer-briefs and she tried not to drool as his stomach muscles flexed as he breathed. His skin was creamy white with small little hairs traveling from just below his belly button to lower areas. She gulped and looked into his hazel eyes. He had beautiful eyes, with specks of every color in them making them an attractive light brownish color, swirling and dizzying.

"Are you alright?" He asked, concern evident in his features.

She tried not to melt at his concern. It was sweet and it was also something she wasn't used to. "Yeah, _hunky dory_."

He raised an eyebrow in response.

She threw him her sexy smirk and asked, "Why? You miss me?"

She turned and headed for the cabinet, opening it and trying not to feel too much pride for being able to turn away from James. She discovered that she had that sort of power, maybe even more than he did. She'd also discovered long before they became er… _intimate_ that he really seemed to enjoy when she gave him _that_ smirk, the one that he couldn't seem to contain himself, staring or clenching his fists to control himself. But now, with that smile and with their new _situation_, he couldn't seem to keep his hands off of her when she looked at him with that sexy innocence.

She squealed a bit when she felt him press against her from behind, his erection insistent upon her butt.

"Certain parts…" He said just above a whisper, nuzzling her neck and placing his hands on either sides of her on the counter.

"_Hmm_, calm down there, mister," She said in a mock serious tone. She used her hands to push back a little and rotated her hips against the bulge she felt pressing against her. She heard him hiss and she wondered what they were really doing, what _he_ was doing. She'd had unique sex before, had had sex in places he couldn't even imagine, but sex in the kitchen? Against the countertop? It sounded—sounded… kind of interesting. Down right _sexy_, if you asked her. _She'd take it_.

She leaned her head back and automatically sought out his lips for a sexually pent up kiss. They'd just finished having sex earlier in his bedroom and his stamina and eagerness to keep going made her feel desirable, wanted. This much attention was refreshing and she wanted more of it and learned ways to get what she wanted subtly without blatantly saying so. With James, he seemed to like her actively interested but he liked to alternate between who pursued who.

This time she guessed it was his turn.

She slowly turned around, barely aware that she'd stepped on his feet because he'd been so close. They never lost contact, never broke the kiss. Their tongues slid against each other, urgently and her hands massaged his strong shoulders. She hummed against his lips as he held fast to her hips before lifting her onto the counter. Her hands went up to massage his head, to thread her fingers through his shaggy, messy hair. She _loved_ his hair.

"Mm…" He whispered, his lips sliding to the hollowness of her throat.

She wrapped her limbs tight against his waist when he situated himself between her legs. She could feel his arousal pressing against her belly and she scooted closer toward the edge, wanting to be filled by him immediately. This position could be potentially satisfying but at the moment, it wasn't and she _needed_ to be satisfied, right then and there.

"James," She whispered, placing a wet kiss on his chin and opening her eyes to look at him through hooded lids. "I need… you… this..."

James opened his eyes and he nodded. He tried to step back but her legs held onto him fast. He looked at her questioningly before he felt her release him. He stepped back and pulled down his boxer-briefs before stepping into her encircling legs. "I had a… a dream…"

Lily scooted forward, only half hearing what he was telling her. She'd had this feeling after the first time Lucius had had sex with her but this feeling was beyond her climax, beyond her high. She felt the first taste of needing to be filled completely, in all aspects of a relationship but to voice that to James, to voice it to _anyone_, seemed difficult. Very difficult and _scary_. She finally felt the tip of his cock lightly pressing against her dripping heat and she felt herself already heaving with anticipation.

"You and I were in this same position…" James explained in a seductive whisper, slowly inching his erection inside of her.

Lily didn't want to hear him talk. She didn't _want_ to hear about some dream. Granted, any other time he wanted to tell her she'd been in one of his wet dreams, she'd gladly listen but at this point, she wanted to fuck. She wanted something more than what he was currently giving her. It was _torture_ and she wanted to just shove him inside of her and rock both of them into oblivion, shutting them _both_ up of unnecessary chatter.

"James," She pleaded softly and her nails dug into his shoulders as she tried to pull him closer. He was holding back. Gods, if he hadn't wanted to fuck then why had he gotten up at all? She was beginning to feel frustrated.

"Shush…" He whispered, killing her with his slowness.

"But I don't---"

It was then she felt him completely enter her and the sentence that she'd started immediately turned into a loud, long moan. She wrapped onto him tighter and clenched her vaginal muscles around him, feeling satisfied when she heard him grunt and thrust deeper inside of her. She heard his nails scraping against his countertop as they thrust against each other, wildly and passionately. He was filling her over and over again.

"Ooh, James, this…" She rocked her hips harder against his, rotating them left and right before thrusting and meeting his. It felt amazing. More than amazing but she couldn't quite think clearly.

One of his hands snaked its way between their bodies and he pinched her clit in time with his thrusts. He earned a throaty moan of delight as they continued to thrust against one another. Soon, her muscles were quivering and shaking around him, her heat surrounding him making him inevitably follow her into his release of oblivion. His head collapsed against her forehead and they stayed like that. She could feel his sweat rubbing against the sweat on her forehead. His soft cock slid out of her and they both breathed in, deeply sated.

She wanted to sag against the counter and lie like that forever. Or do it again.

He stepped back and stretched before leaning down and pulling his boxer-briefs back up his long legs and thighs. She was sad to see his most intimate member disappear from her sight but she closed her eyes, letting the happy feeling wash over before she slid off the counter and turned her back to him. She stood on her tip toes, looking in the cabinet for the peanut butter.

He groaned behind her, giving her a look that she couldn't see. "Don't do that."

After she concluded that there wasn't any peanut butter in the cabinets, she turned to him with a frown. "Do what?"

His eyes darkened and she could see that he was ready, again. "In my dream, you were doing that and it ended in…"

She stared at him before she finally got it. She bit her lip. "Oh…"

"Yeah," He sounded tortured.

She tried to keep the question from falling on her lips but she couldn't. "You dreamed about me?"

He nodded.

"When?" She knew they'd only slept for an hour or two earlier but mostly they'd just lounged around, having sex and sharing light stories about their favorite things to eat, which obviously, _inevitably_ led to dirty pillow talk.

He turned away from her. "The night you and my mom were shot at."

She gaped at his back. She couldn't say anything to that, she was so shocked. He'd wanted her weeks ago? Why hadn't he said or done anything? There had been so many times after she'd left his apartment on her own terms where she found herself waking up, shaken from her orgasms from her dreams about James finally taking her in some obscure place. Sure, they always ended in memories from her past but she'd had the same problem.

"Why are you quiet?" He asked quietly, turning around to face her. He looked unsure, awkward, and a little vulnerable. She couldn't blame him. He was supposed to have the upper hand, this whole situation being at his apartment, he'd initiated their relationship earlier that morning which confirmed that it was to continue, but he looked just as lost as she felt, maybe even more so than her.

She shrugged and motioned to his cabinets. "You don't have any peanut butter."

He gave her a funny look and she shifted uncomfortably under his gaze before she saw him slowly nod. "I guess I'll go get some."

She watched him turn from her and she whimpered a little before quickly walking to follow him. "Right now?"

He shrugged, turning toward her with a half smile. It was sexy. "What else am I going to eat?"

She felt the throbbing between her legs. Gods, is this what it felt like to be with James Potter? Days and nights just filled with endless sex and sexual innuendos? Because if it was, she wished Remus had formally introduced them _months_ ago. "Whatever is around…?" She purred and slowly walked to him. She leaned up and fought the urge to curl her toes when they kissed softly. It was a sweet kiss.

He growled against her mouth and pulled her against him, kissing her more firmly. After a few long seconds of whetting each other's appetites, he finally pulled back with a warm smile. "Come here. I want to show you something."

She watched him step back and curiously followed him as he led her by the hand toward his bedroom. The throbbing between her legs intensified but she sensed that he wasn't leading her to his bed per se but more to something else. They entered his bedroom and she tried not to feel so smug at seeing her panties on the floor and her jean skirt lounging on the chair by his bed. It was like they were in an actual relationship.

"I got you these while I was out one day." She heard him say as he entered his walk-in closet.

"Got me wh---?" She asked but stopped in the middle of her question when she saw what he was holding.

James held at _least_ six or seven bags of clothes from all kinds of stores. They looked like they came from the mall with names very popular in the fashion industry. Her heart pounded hard and she swallowed past the lump forming in her throat. She tried not to get excited too fast, a skill she'd worked for many years at from being held high and then dropped just as quickly. Her knuckles must've turned white as her nails dug into the sheets in James's bed as she sat down.

He struggled with all of the bags and set them a couple of feet before her. "Um… I got some clothes from Ralph Lauren, Anne Cole… and some others but I'm not really up to par with the brand names of women's clothing so I just kind of bought a little bit of everything." He shrugged, setting some _very_ nice clothing on the bed beside her as she watched with wide eyes. "Uh, I figured you could try them on and anything you don't like, I could um, just return them. If you want."

She was speechless. Completely and utterly speechless.

He finally looked at her and gave her a nervous smile. "So, do you like them or…?"

She blinked back her tears, trying really hard to control her emotions but around James, she seemed to be dissolving in that area. She glanced at him from the gorgeous clothes, from designer jeans and shirts to beautifully laced lingerie, from jackets she could never afford to shoes she never knew she'd ever have the pleasure in looking at up close. Everything was too much and she was about to ball her eyes out.

His shoulders slouched in disappointment as he saw the first tears fall down her cheeks. "You don't like them…"

It took her a second to register what he'd just said and she shook her head, looking up at him. "No, I do…"

He looked at her with honest, sincere eyes. "You do?"

She continued to nod her head. "Yeah, I love them." She reached out her hands to finger a delicate article of clothing. "I've just never had someone do this for me before. It's kind of a shock."

"But a good shock?" He asked.

"A big good one." She stood up and leaned up to give him a light but lingering kiss. She closed her eyes tightly, fighting the urge not to cry anymore. She pulled away and wiped her wet cheeks. She looked at him then and saw that his eyes were still closed; parts of his cheeks were damp from her teary ones.

"You're welcome." He whispered, his eyes opening as he inhaled and exhaled deeply. His lips curled into a smile. "Maybe you could try them on for me when I get back…"

The forgotten pulse between her thighs picked up and she became alert in that way again. She returned his smile with a mischievous one of her own. "Definitely…"

…

When Lily first heard the incessant knocking in the bathroom after she'd stepped out of the shower and was in the process of drying herself, she wondered if James had forgotten his keys on his way out the door. But, halfway in rushing to put on a very sexy lingerie outfit, she'd remembered that she'd seen James grab his keys just before leaving his apartment so she concluded that it couldn't have been him. This led to her dilemma of answering the door or not answering the door.

She'd heard the locks on the door unlock as she paced the parlor and when she'd seen one perfectly manicured hand wrap itself around the edge of the door, in the process of pushing it open, she'd bolted to the bathroom as fast as she could and slammed the bathroom door, breathing in and out deeply. In the light of all that had happened with James, their situation moving incredibility fast, she'd forgotten to ask James about his relationship with Shauna and if it was over. Apparently, it wasn't if Shauna still had the keys to his apartment and that led to a whole bunch of other things Lily didn't want to be forced to think about.

She heard Shauna cursing James's name and stomping about. At first, Lily thought that Shauna was out there breaking James's stuff or kicking things around but as she pressed her ear closer to the bathroom door, she recognized that Shauna was just complaining very loudly to herself and throwing her stuff on the couch, promising that she would stay there until James returned.

After taking a few deep breaths and realizing that she couldn't very well hide in the bathroom, she pulled on a big t-shirt and sweat pants (which were James's) over her lingerie. If James and Shauna were together, her first priority would be to not be so obvious that she and James had had sex, many, many times. Her next priority would be to bolt from the apartment in case there any fire ammunition aimed her way at James's cheating. Her last priority would be to steer clear of James and keep herself from crying _again_ because James, like she'd known all along, was just as filthy a cheater and liar as the rest of the men she'd grown up knowing.

Deciding that whatever happened next was meant to be, she opened the door and walked out of the bathroom toward the living room. Upon seeing Shauna's manicured hand again, tapping the side of the couch impatiently, and her Gucci bag, Lily gulped. On her own turf, she'd like nothing more than to bitch slap Shauna for giving her such a hard time for the last year and a half but this wasn't her turf and she was in a very awkward position.

"…Gods, I swear, James, you're going to pay for what you've put me through…" Lily heard Shauna hiss under her breath.

Lily paused and wondered briefly what James put her through. Was he bad in relationships? If so, they had a lot in common then. She hadn't had a steady relationship in… since she'd been twelve living with her dad on the other side of the country. Other "steady" relationships mostly consisted of a steady drug-sex flow or something equally illegal. She had no idea how to conduct herself in a relationship and knowing that James might not either, if what they had was a relationship, made her feel less alone, less on the spot to perform or act correctly.

"You're going to wish that you---" Shauna stopped wide-eyed when Lily came into her line of vision and the blonde narrowed her eyes. "_Reject Evans?_" The other girl gaped. "Are you who he's been cheating on me with?"

Lily would've loved to rub it in Shauna's face. She would've loved to state proudly and truthfully that James had picked her over the ice bitch on campus. As far as Lily was concerned, Shauna was in a worse position than Lily. The other girl had the shriek voice of banshee and an attitude as fake as the nails she wore on her hands. Yeah, sure, Lily knew she had problems but she'd have rather kept her problems than adopt or take on Shauna's. They were both hopeless cases but Lily still maintained her identity.

"Oh my god, _please_ tell me this is _not_ happening. James did _not_ dump me for you." Shauna stood up angrily.

Lily was about to say something but closed her mouth upon hearing that James _dumped_ Shauna. Relief washed over her first, assuring her that her first thoughts on James not being capable of cheating were correct. He was honorable. She studied the lines etched disgustedly on Shauna's face as they squared off and suddenly, her desires to shut Shauna down dissipated, completely disappeared.

"How long?" Shauna asked, jutting her chin out. "How long has that---that _jack ass_ been cheating on me?"

Lily shrugged, her facial features posed innocently. "Huh?"

"What the hell are you talking about? You're in his apartment with his clothes on!" Shauna shrieked. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, you little bitch!"

The redhead winced. "I _don't_ know what you're talking about."

The blonde stared at Lily evenly. "Don't lie to me. How did you get in his apartment? Why are you here?"

Playing it off perfectly, Lily snorted in laughter. "Why don't you ask Sirius Black why I'm here? He's the one who brought me here."

"Sirius?" Shauna frowned.

Lily nodded. "Yup. He said something about wanting to pay you and Potter back for something. I can't remember what it was though. Something about you interrupting him in having sex with some other girl?"

Shauna glared. "I don't believe you. How would he have the keys? How could James not know that you're here with his clothes on?"

"Look, all I know is what Black wanted to tell me." Lily rolled her eyes, completely in character. "As for Black having a key and how I'm wearing Potter's clothes? Potter probably gave his friends keys just in case something happened and I'm wearing Potter's clothes because it was the only thing lying around. I was just about to skedaddle before Potter came back."

Shauna seemed to try to probe through Lily's act with her eyes but seeing no flaw or any indication that Lily was lying, she stepped back and rolled her own eyes. "Yeah, you _better_ leave before he comes back."

Lily started to walk toward James's bedroom before she turned back around to face Shauna. "Oh yeah, I just remembered something."

"What is that?" Shauna snapped, folding her arms and scoffing at the redhead.

"Black told me that Potter had headed out to his dad's mansion. Something like it being an hour north?" Lily asked, carefully using the information James had told her earlier while they'd been talking lightly about certain aspects of his life. The fact that Nicholas Potter lived an hour north had been mentioned and to get rid of Shauna so that Lily didn't need to leave James's apartment just popped into her head.

"Are you serious?" Shauna gaped and Lily shrugged nonchalantly. Shauna let out a frustrated groan. "He's so… _argh_!"

Lily turned away from the blonde and allowed the slow smile to touch her lips.

…

James whistled as he closed his front door. In his hand, he held the bags filled with more ice cream, peanut butter, milk, and other sweets that he couldn't wait to share with Lily. He'd jogged down to the corner store about two blocks down the street and couldn't help but whistle. He'd overridden his thoughts of taking his car, favoring the cool air. His hair was messier than normal. He turned and expected Lily to greet him but when his eyes traveled around the empty room, his arms sagged a little at his side.

He entered his kitchen, flipped on a light and began taking the items out of the plastic bags. On his jog down to the corner store, he'd tried to keep deep thoughts out of brain containing Lily in them. His mind began to touch up on what exactly she was to him, what she was supposed to mean in his life, and what he meant in hers. The unfortunate fact was that when James had chosen to take on their new "situation", he hadn't thought completely through with the relationship thing. Not to mention he'd just gotten out of a very needy relationship with a very needy Shauna and the idea of jumping into another relationship like that made James's mouth go sour.

He shook his head.

_Better to keep things simple and light. _

He noticed a flashing from the corner of his eyes and realized that he'd missed a phone call. He pushed the button 'play' and listened, his actions stopping immediately.

"Hey, James," A _very_ familiar female's voice purred over the phone, "It's me, Caitlen. I haven't seen you since that night you ran off from my apartment. Listen, I was thinking you and I could get together for lunch or dinner or breakfast…" She laughed softly, _seductively_ into the speaker and James's hand slipped from the carton of ice cream as he listened. "Anyways, you should still have my number. See you, handsome."

James tried to keep his mouth closed as he listened to the beeping sound of the message stopping. He'd _completely_ forgotten about Caitlen. Sometimes, his mind had wandered to her and wondered what she was doing but lately, it was Caitlen _who_?

"Friend of the family?"

James jumped and turned to see Lily leaning against the doorframe of his kitchen. His eyes automatically swept over her. She'd cleaned herself up and she now just wore one of his long t-shirts. He gulped and felt the blood rushing down south to his tightening erection. Around Lily, he was just in a constant state of arousal. _Of course._ She looked beautiful, with the dim kitchen light splaying over her tanned skin and red hair.

"Um… I, uh…" James started, just forgetting about the carton of ice cream altogether as it seemed that he wasn't having any luck with it.

"Are you always this articulate?"

He tried to pay attention to her voice, to recognize, to see if there was any anger or resentment there. Her face was as blank as a board and her voice seemed light enough. He narrowed his eyes, trying to detect any hint of disappointment but as she stepped more into the light and her gaze fell onto the ice cream carton and the rest of the items in the bags, he saw nothing.

"She's a friend." He said shortly.

Her eyes met his and he swore he saw a flicker of---of jealousy or something but when he looked closer, she wasn't looking at him anymore. "You get the things you wanted at the store?"

He nodded. "Yup." He smirked. "Everything."

She nodded as well and stepped back. "While you were gone…"

He looked at her. "Yes?"

"While you were gone, I was thinking about things." She said mysteriously.

"Like?"

She looked up at him from her feet. "Like maybe actually trying in college? To maybe do something with my life?"

James's eyes widened and a surge of pride welled up inside of him, like his kid had told him they got accepted into college or accepted into a job they really wanted. His obviously shocked reaction made her laugh softly to herself and shake her head.

"I know it's kind of crazy and maybe it's um, it's too late, but I was just thinking, you know." She shrugged, trying to play it cool but her nervousness at revealing something personal about her was apparent.

"No," He said quickly, walking to stand in front of her. "No, I think that's a really good idea." He paused, trying to make this as gentle for her as possible, but not knowing why he wanted to. Any other time, any other situation, he would've rolled his eyes and shrugged off obvious statements like those but with Lily, he wanted to protect her, to encourage her.

"You do?" Lily's eyes lit up.

He smiled warmly at her and opened his arms wide enough for her to step in between them. "Yeah, I do. As long as you're comfortable with it, I think it'll be good."

She nodded her head and wrapped her arms around his middle, hugging him and breathing in his scent. After a couple of quiet seconds, she let go and felt him release her. "I think your mom will be happy with my decision. Plus, I kind of have an idea of what I want to pursue."

"Yeah?" He arched his eyebrow, making a mental note that she was only a beginning sophomore in college. She really didn't _need_ know what she wanted to do but if she did, then he guessed that was a good thing. He turned away from her, putting the food items where they belonged.

"Yep." She leaned against kitchen table, half sitting on it and watching him move around the kitchen. "I think I want to get back into acting."

"That's really exciting, Lily." He was really proud of her that she was finally deciding to take control of her life but he wondered what the sudden change in her attitude was. Just sleeping with him couldn't have caused this drastic change in her goals, could it have? He shook his head, really hoping with all he had that it wasn't because it put a lot more pressure than he was willing to shoulder to continue what they were doing. _Not_ that it took a lot for him to do to her what he was doing, but having the knowledge that her life was going to change tremendously because he'd had _sex_ with her was just too much _too_ soon.

"Yeah, you remember Jordan?" He tried not to feel jealousy chipping at him when he saw her eyes light up when she mentioned Jordan's name.

He nodded, taking a deep breath. He was _not_ in a relationship with Lily Evans. They were just… sleeping together. Sure, she was living in his apartment and wearing his t-shirts and taking showers in his bathroom and eating his food, but they were not in a relationship. She could talk about whoever the hell she wanted to talk about however she wanted to talk about him, all she wanted. Then why had he felt so guilty when he'd heard Caitlen's voice on his answering machine and why had he jumped like he'd been caught cheating when he'd heard Lily's voice behind him straight after Caitlen's?

"Well, he has connections." She frowned to herself. "I don't know why he doesn't use them himself but," She looked at James with a bright smile, with straight white teeth. "Jordan knows some people who can help me out if I want a gig."

Things were moving way too fast.

James swallowed, about to say something, anything when Lily licked her lips slowly, deep in thought. He fought the urge to groan in pleasure at seeing the pink tip wet her full lips. When he saw her nibble at her lower lip, he _did_ groan in pleasure, causing her to look up at him questioningly.

"What?" Lily asked, frowning at him.

"How about those clothes you were going to try on for me?" James asked, his voice coming out husky.

Her eyes darkened and her eyelids lowered slightly before her eyes clashed with his in highly pent up sexual tension. Her fingers slowly splayed out over her stomach and massaged their way to the hem falling just at her thighs. Those fingers wrapped over the hem before pulling up and up and up. Inch by inch, James saw the pink lace bottom lingerie he'd bought for Lily weeks ago. He had no time to wonder about what he'd been thinking when he bought a bunch of sexy clothes because he hadn't even had sex with her then but maybe it had been some kind of subconscious thing telling him he was going to.

The pink lace underwear fit snug in all of the right places. Her shirt fell to the floor and James drunk in the sight of Lily's full breasts shoved together and falling out of her bra. Her mid rift, no longer bones jaunting out and pushing against her skin except when she stretched up, was flat and tan. She bit her lip again and James found himself kneeling before her, his mouth gaping open.

"Do you know how gorgeous you are?" He whispered, placing a wet kiss on her tummy.

Her hands went up to cup his face and the look she gave him could've killed him right then and there. Dark passion mixed with something unfamiliar to him swirled in her eyes as her pupils dilated, looking down at him. He was almost eye level with her, even when he was kneeling but he was low enough where he felt he could fool around a bit.

He kissed and licked his way around her belly button before his tongue finally slid inside. She squealed a bit and shivered before he ventured lower. Her skin tasted clean against his tongue and just before he reached the direct center of her, he flattened his hands against her legs and ran them up her bare thighs, stopping just below her pleasure point.

"Please, James…" She whimpered, pressing her sex insistently against his face but trying for his hands.

"Please what?" He asked, his fingers walking slowly around her crotch.

"T-touch me." She whispered. She closed her eyes.

His hands made quick work with the new underwear he'd bought her and she stepped out of them. He folded them and placed them in his back jeans pocket before looking at the sight before him. Her sex was already glistening and the red curls already moistened. She rocked her hips from side to side as a way to invite him to touch her. He grinned mischievously and leaned his head in to touch her heat with his mouth.

She jumped and her eyes flew open. "What the _fuck_?"

"Shush, relax…" He soothed her and placed his mouth at her crouch again. She shivered a little and as his tongue laved over her clit over and over again, a few experimental licks, she bucked against him, feeling as if she was going to fall. He held fast to her bottom though and felt her hands tug at his hair. Part of it was painful but it gave him immense pleasure when she mewled against his mouth, tugging his hair and thrusting her sex against him. Most girls could never tell if they liked this part or not and Lily was no different, the _sex vixen_ had never been eaten out before. There was pride in that.

"Oh my gods, James, I'm going to…" She moaned, rotating her hips in a circle.

He tilted his head for better access, sucking deeper and deeper, harder and harder. One of his hands came to her front and pinched her clit like he'd done earlier and that was what sent her over the edge. She bucked fiercely against him and he held fast onto her, squeezing her ass and just about coming himself in his jeans at the wild sounds she was making. After her orgasm subsided, he licked his lips and released her from his tight hold on her.

"That was…" She started to say, panting.

He smiled. "That's how gorgeous you are."

She slowly met his eyes and smiled back. "You ever fucking do that again, I'll shove you to the floor and---"

He leaned up quickly, cutting her off with a kiss. He briefly wondered if she'd push him away because he held her taste in his mouth but she didn't push him away. Instead she wrapped arms around his neck tighter and returned the kiss with equal fervor. Their tongues played with one another for a few minutes before Lily pulled back and started to walk away.

He grabbed onto one of her hands. "Where are you going?"

She gave him an innocent smile. "I do believe we still have thirteen more outfits to try on."

She got out of his grasp and left the kitchen, swaying her hips and naked behind side to side.

He swallowed and smiled, watching her retreat to his bedroom. He stood up and shook his head.

_And they still had the ice cream and peanut butter to go through…

* * *

_

**A/N:** Whoa to this one too, huh? All about James and Lily with a smidgen of Shauna but not much of anyone else. This was also a BIG WARNING chapter as well with all of the sex going around. That should lighten up a bit but since they have just encountered this whole new kind of relationship, they're going to tend to be doing _it_ a lot, if you know what I mean. I want to stress that aspect of their relationship because it's really important to the development of this story.

Probably the most important thing that happened this chapter (it was kind of a quiet one) was Lily deciding that she was going to really try to do something with her life in college. That's also a big part of the major showdown. Why she's deciding to do something now will be revealed either next chapter or the chapter afterward depending on what plots fall into my line of vision.

Caitlen also returned, sort of. Like I said, she'll play a very predictable, very _annoying_ role in this story. She's just another tool at getting James and Lily where I need them. And to answer someone's question about Chelsea Kiaz sticking around, he will actually. Good job. He'll be pretty important as well. In that scene, though, he was very much a tool to show what Lily had been like at first but I will be using him again very soon.

Also, Annette, Remus, Sirius, and Bella will be returning again. I know I've been using them kind of sparingly but things have happened to kind of push them out of the main limelight.

Anyways, please review. They help me to continue writing for this website.


	13. About Breakfast and Lionel

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Began:** Sunday, May 6, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Saturday, May 12, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Saturday, May 12, 2007

**Rating:** R

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Warning:** _Very_ mature. You've been warned.

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the really late update. I lost everything on my computer so I haven't had a computer for weeks. Things should be coming in a lot quicker now that I have a something to write on. This is a pretty long chapter… 13 pages, about. It reveals a lot too so I'm hoping you guys aren't too upset at me. I worked with what I had. Thank you to all of the reviews from last chapter!

**Chapter Twelve: About Breakfast and Lionel**

_Her feet smacked against the pavement as she broke out in a sprint. Her heart pounded in her chest and she felt a slice of pain break through her, threatening to tear her in half but she continued to run for all her life was worth. She never dared to look back but tears poured down her face as she heard the fatal __**pop, pop, pop**__ sounds just as she turned a corner. _

_Her heart continued to thump wildly against her ribcage and she leaned against the brick wall, closing her eyes as another hot wave of tears poured down her reddened cheeks. _

"_Run!" He had screamed to her, as he fought with her step-dad, trying to grab the weapon. _

_And she had run. _

_Fast._

_She slid down the brick wall and curled into a tight ball, drowning out the sounds of the city with her loud sobs. Her whole body shook and she was only slightly aware of the pain in her back from it scratching against the wall. She curled her knees up closer to her chest and she rocked back and forth, shaking her head and biting her lower lip. She should've stopped them. She could've prevented…_

"_There you are, you little whore."_

_Fear flooded Lily. _

_She slowly looked up into the cold eyes of the man standing above her. _

"_You thought you could persuade your little boyfriend to come rescue you? How stupid do you think I am, little lady." He sneered at her._

_His arms shook a little as he chuckled. Her eyes gazed at the solid object held in his hand and her eyes widened, knowing things were going to get worse. It was the gun he had used to shoot…_

"_Stand up." He ordered. _

_She continued to look at the gun, not making a move to do anything. Her tears even seemed to halt, daring Lionel to use his weapon. _

"_I said, stand up!" He leaned down, grabbed a hold of her and yanked her so that she was standing up. _

_She gasped for air as he shoved her against the wall, hard. Her red hair fell across her face and she looked down at the ground, refusing to look at him. Knowing though, somehow, that that's what he wanted, she resolved to looking at his gun, wondering when he was going to use it on her next. _

"_You sure do like to get around now, hmm?" Lionel whispered. "First, that other rich snob and now the other guy. This guy, though, was a true knight in shining armor. Tell me, little shnookums, did you love him?"_

_Rage spilled out her every cell as her eyes fastened on his. She wanted to punch him, kick him, take his gun from him and shoot him. Not until he breathed his last breath but until all of the hatred that had seated itself in her since the first time she saw him dissipated from her body. She didn't want the coldness anymore, didn't want the hard feelings she'd begun to feel. She wanted to feel numb, no pain. _

_She hated this man, hated him. _

"_Aw, isn't that just adorable?" He continued and waved his gun around carelessly as he talked. "Miss Lily with her poor daddy dying comes to the big city of angels and meets the rich love of her life." He leaned closer to her so that they were nose to nose. She could smell the alcohol on his breath and she closed her eyes, leaning her head against the wall again. "I shot him, good and fatal. Hmm… the way he hit the ground, groaning your name… I breathed in every bit of it."_

_She opened her eyes again and looked into those cold, black eyes. "Lionel, you're a sick bastard."_

_He wasted no time in raising his hand to strike her. Her head smacked against the wall and she grit her teeth, fighting not to whimper and cower in pain. She'd been through this many times with Lionel, ever since she moved to L.A after her dad's death. It'd been five years of Lionel shoving her around, beating her and generally trying to make her life a living hell. She'd given up on her mother and sister helping her long ago and he'd just murdered one of the only people at this point in her life that had really cared for her. If ever she was going to die young, she wanted it to be now. _

"_Kill me." She hissed between her clenched teeth. _

_He paused and narrowed his eyes at her. _

"_C'mon. You say I'm a dirty little whore, that I'm good for nothing. Well? Why don't you goddamn prove it? I'm standing right here. You've got the heat. Shoot me.__** Kill me**__." By the end, her tears had returned and they were falling freely down her cheeks. _

_He stared at her in silence before his shoulders began to shake. Cold laughter filled the night air and she frowned, wondering what the hell was so funny. His gun waved in front of her face and alcohol breath blew into her nostrils and she fought the urge to cough and turn her face. She wondered if this was another one of his games because he'd played so many over the years. His face turned suddenly cold and hard and his eyes narrowed on hers. _

"_Do you think I'm really that stupid, fucking little cunt!" He shouted in her face, angrily. _

_Lily's eyes widened when she heard another round of gunshots go off. She glanced down at her body, feeling for any wounds or blood because she felt no pain but when she heard the painful raspy voice of Lionel, she glanced immediately at him. His eyes had widened in shock and he struggled to sputter words but blood pooled in his mouth. He toppled over and tried to clutch for something, anything. Lily jumped out of the way, watching Lionel fall to the ground. The way he fell, the way his neck landed, Lily knew he was dead. Her eyes widened in confusion when she saw the blood streaming from Lionel's body. _

"_Lily." _

_She looked up. _

…

"Lily!"

Lily sat upright and glanced around to see Remus sitting at her side and James standing a few feet away from her, both looking extremely alarmed and concerned. She frowned, rubbing her eyes and shaking her head. It'd been the fourth time that week that she'd had flashbacks of that night in her dreams. Usually, she'd dreamt at night but claiming to take a nice, satisfying nap and dreaming _that_ while company was over was completely embarrassing.

"Are you alright?" Remus asked and leaned back when Lily shifted a little.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Her eyes flickered to James who glanced down at the floor. He'd woken up the last couple of nights to her pounding her arms against his chest and her legs kicking his in the middle of the night as she dreamed about her past. He knew she wasn't fine. Even though she refused to talk about it with him, she knew he knew something was up.

"…Because you were screaming and crying and thrashing about. James and I didn't know if we should---" Remus continued but she interrupted him.

"Remus," She cut in, frustration clearly in her voice. "I said I was fine. No need to make a big deal about it. It was just a bad dream."

"Okay…" Remus said slowly, not convinced but deciding to let it drop.

"So, what are we having for breakfast?" Lily asked, trying to sound cheerful.

…

James frowned at Lily's back as she walked into the living room with Remus, talking about her classes and hearing Remus say how proud he was that she was finally taking her studies seriously. He and Lily had been sleeping together for nearly a month now and it was somewhere when she and Bella had been assigned a chemistry lab project to do together that he began noticing the different fronts she put up. It bothered him to know that she didn't seem to trust anyone, sometimes not even him, to just relax and be herself and they were sleeping together!

He grumpily stirred his cream-of-wheat absent-mindedly, thinking about the sudden changes surrounding Lily. First off, she actually went to her classes and studied for exams and was doing quite well in most of them, minus any history courses she was forced to take. She dressed in all of the clothes that he'd bought for her and had even taken up a job at the restaurant joint down the street part-time so that she could save up money to buy her own clothes and to hold up her weight with food. She'd completely turned all appearances around which was good but all of these changes, James noticed, came with a price.

Now that Lily wasn't hanging around the apartment, waiting for him to come home for someone to talk to, he found himself waiting home rather _impatiently_ for _her_ to come home. On Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, Lily didn't come home until sometimes almost midnight. She was a waitress at the restaurant but sometimes, because of the shortage of staff, she'd have to fill in for other people who failed to do their jobs. The restaurant was a hot place for good food, good conversation, and good entertainment. There were bands that sometimes visited for a gig and if they couldn't find a local band, they sure had music playing in the background. There was a huge bar, a good size dance floor, and a giant flat-screened television that attracted the eyes of many men looking to watch a good game and eat good food served by good-looking, younger women.

James was proud that Lily was trying so hard to make her life work out but on those nights where he wondered when she was coming home, he resented her decision. Especially when she'd come home so tired and he'd be so ready for her to join him in bed but she'd have to stay up doing her homework. He'd try and get her in the mood but she'd shrug him off, kiss him once and turn back to her studies, reminding him that she wanted to be good for him. Good enough for him to tell everyone about their relationship.

That's right.

Their relationship still remained a secret. He tried to ignore the obvious reason on why it remained a secret, seeing as even Sirius and Bella commented on how Lily's change had made her more approachable. The sad fact of the matter was that he was still very much ashamed. Now that Lily looked so beautiful and she was on the right track to succeeding in her life, there was nothing to be ashamed of her _per se_. She was sure involved in the shame process but James was more ashamed of himself.

He would never admit that though.

"James, are you coming out to eat?" He heard Remus call to him from the living room.

"Yeah, I'll be out in a minute!" James called back.

He knew that he should tell his best friends and family about his situation with Lily, although they seemed to already have an idea about it. They said nothing, however, which James highly appreciated. It'd only been a month since James and Lily began sleeping with each other and neither really felt entirely comfortable when the word 'relationship' crept along the edges of their conversations while talking about their lusty feelings for one another. They pretended that it was just all physical and it worked for them. Sometimes.

James could see, sometimes, the look in Lily's eyes when they had conversations. The way her eyes seemed to glance away or look down every time they spoke about their awkward situation so eventually, wanting to avoid any confrontations since things were pretty good, James had stopped questioning what he was doing with Lily. They were young. They were having a good time, that was all. He told himself that but he kept quiet to Lily. She was so focused on doing well in her courses and earning money at the joint that he couldn't distract her.

Those dreams, though. _They_ were distracting her. He remembered the first night he'd woken up to feel hard kicks and punches against his bare chest. His immediate thought was Lily and if someone had broken in, he'd been too out of it and sleeping to protect her. When he discovered that it was Lily throwing the punches, he became confused and tried to stop her. It was when he saw that her eyes were closed and that she was dreaming that he calmed down and tried to sooth her, tried to wake her up. It had taken him many minutes before her eyes snapped open and even then, her eyes bore heavy tears in them. He held her against his chest as she sobbed. That first night, he hadn't asked why or what she was dreaming about, assuming it'd just been a passing nightmare.

But they continued throughout the week.

He lay awake at night, listening to her whimpering in her sleep, tossing and turning. He tried to listen for any names and he caught one name. Lionel. But, the rest of the words that came out of her mouth were mumbled and incoherent. When she began to kick and scream, that's when he turned over and tried to comfort her, trying to reach through her dreams to let him know that she was protected. She usually woke up just after the kicking and screaming stopped. The third night he'd finally asked just as she was sitting up in bed what she was dreaming about. She shook her head and told him not to worry about it and left him there alone in his bed.

The fourth night as she tossed and turned, he'd tried to close his eyes and sleep but her helpless whimpers got to be too much for him. He turned over and hugged her tightly. She woke up crying and clutched to him. After he rocked her gently, she'd sat up and at first, he thought that she'd leave his bedroom like she'd done the previous night but instead, she swung one leg over his hip and sat down fully on his erection. She rode him long and hard, leaning down and kissing him desperately through sad tears. Even as they climaxed and he grunted, thrusting his hips upward and she closed her eyes in the heat of the moment, tears spilled onto his bare chest.

He knew she'd just given him a thank you fuck when she rolled over to leave the room. He knew that was her way of telling him to leave it alone, that she was fine, that she would deal with it on her own time but what the _hell_? He was there twenty-four seven, sharing with her everything in his life and she refused him so much of herself except her body which seemed to be the only thing she thought he wanted. Although it hadn't been his decision, he was relieved when he'd first heard Bella complaining that her chemistry teacher had assigned Lily as her project partner. That meant that he could see Lily when Bella was around. That's when James noticed the fronts Lily put up.

"I'm just going to get some milk." He heard Lily's voice say and he immediately began to clear up the counter.

Just as he was turning to throw the empty bag away, Lily walked into the kitchen. He noticed her watching him and he walked around her and tossed the bag in the trash. When he turned around, he saw her leaning against the counter with her arms folded, looking at him.

"What?" He asked, moving to wipe off the rest of the counter.

She shifted to face him. "Please…" She whispered softly.

"Please what?" He didn't look at her.

"Please don't make an issue out of my dreams. They're just dreams." She insisted.

"You can waste that lie on Remus, Lily." He looked her square in the face. "He's not the one sleeping with you."

He made a move to leave but she caught his arm in her hand and turned him to face her.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You know, that was cold."

"I'm sorry." He mumbled.

"No," She said, "You're not. You've been this way all morning. Even before Remus showed up. What's your problem?"

"Who's Lionel, Lily?" He looked at her again, his eyes boring into hers and sliding over her face, daring her to lie to him.

She stepped back, almost as if she'd been pushed to. Her eyes widened and he could've sworn he saw fear in them. He knew he was being unfair but she couldn't lie to him and say that he was just some random guy. He had to be someone important because his name had been uttered out of her mouth _twice_ and that stuff didn't just _happen_ by coincidence.

"An old boyfriend? Someone you slept with to get drugs? Who was he, Lily?" James continued. He knew he'd regret it later but at this point, he didn't give a shit. He was jealous? Yeah, so? She was sleeping with him; he had a right to know, didn't he?

"How do you know about him?" Lily whispered, her lips barely moving.

He gaped at her. "A whole month of having sex with me and that's the best response you can come up with? Try a little harder, Lily."

"Wow," She laughed but it wasn't that beautiful sounding laugh she used when he tried to persuade her to have sex with him while she tried to do homework. It was a hysterical one that reverberated throughout the whole apartment and probably already caught the attention of Remus.

"Hey, are you guys alright in there?" They heard Remus call to them.

Lily wasn't paying attention though. She stared at James through tear filled eyes. "Wow… _'Try a little harder.'_ You know what, James? _Fuck_ _you_. That's rich coming from a guy who gets scared every time the word relationship is implied in a conversation. Where the hell do you get off throwing shit like that in my face when I've tried so hard for you? Gone to school when people stare and whisper about me? How many times have we stood here and I've told you that I've been trying to be a better person for you? So that you could, I don't know… maybe not feel so ashamed of me and tell your friends and mom about how _close_ we've gotten."

"Lily…" James said, already feeling guilty but she stepped back, holding up her hand to silence him.

"Shut up." He did. "It was just a fucking dream I've been having, James. Get over it." She turned from him to walk out of the kitchen. "I have."

…

Lily sighed when she heard footsteps walking down the stairs into the basement of James's apartment. She really wanted to be alone right now, away from James and if it were he, she would travel so far away from his apartment where he wouldn't ever be able to find her until she was damned good and ready to be found. She turned toward the sound of the steps, preparing to run to the backdoor and bolt down the street. She was surprised when it wasn't James, but Remus.

"I overheard your argument…" Remus said quietly, motioning to upstairs. He looked around. "Is this where you go when you can't stand him?"

Lily frowned but didn't say anything.

"I sometimes head to this---"

Lily shook her head and closed her eyes. "Remus, please, just stop. You don't know anything that's going on."

She started to turn from him when he replied, "Right, so you and James _aren't_ having sex?"

She turned to him and frowned. "How do you---?"

"It's not that hard to tell, Lily. I heard it with my own very Remus ears."

"Does…?" She started to say but he interrupted her again.

"No one else knows." He came to stand in front of her. "Believe me, they're too caught up in their own drama to gossip about James's _I-don't-really-want-to-know-so-don't-tell-me_ sex life."

She shook her head. "How come you never said anything? How long have you known?"

He shrugged. "A while, but that's not really the point now is it?"

She frowned. "Are you trying to be confusing?"

He smiled a little. "Why? Is it working?"

"Remus, I'm really not in the mood for mind games. Either you came down in here to tell me something important or not. Which is it?"

Remus whistled and she looked at him, glaring at him in frustration. He looked impressed but she wasn't. "Look at the new and improved Lily Evans, all dressed sexy and confident. Is that all it took for you to be this way? Sex with James?"

Any other guy Lily would've punched in the face but she knew Remus wasn't insulting her; he was just trying to figure everything out, just as she was. Nonetheless, she breathed in deeply and walked around Remus to the stairs. "I don't have the patience for this."

"Lily, wait up." He jogged to stop her from walking up the stairs and gently tugged at her arm.

She sighed and sat down on one of the stairs, playing with her hands.

"I'm sorry, it's just… if I'd known that introducing you two would lead us here, I don't know if I would've." He admitted, looking away.

She frowned, looking up at him. "Why not? The sex is incredible."

He held up his hands. "Whoa, whoa, whoa… _too_ much information."

She looked down at her hands. "Right." She looked up again. "I just mean, why wouldn't you have?"

Remus shrugged. "I guess I've always kind of er, had this image of you and I, sort of. Kind of."

Lily blinked a few times, not really catching the gist of his ramble. Then it dawned on her and she shifted a little, looking away. She frowned, thinking about the implications of her and Remus and images she'd rather not have popped up in her mind. Still, though, she tried to be nice and not frown too deeply, for fear of it hurting his feelings.

"I know it's far-fetched and you've probably never thought of it---"

"No, can't say I have."

"---But I have and I know it's near impossible and I would never… um, push." He looked at her desperately. "Look, this isn't even the reason I came down here."

"Why did you?" She asked quickly, wanting to get off the awkward subject. She laughed nervously, "Not saying I'm not enjoying this conversation we're having. It's just…"

"You're having sex with my best friend." Remus finished.

Lily pointed to him, nodding. "That's it." She didn't miss the disappointment in Remus' eyes so she amended, "Look, Remus, I care about you so much. And I trust you in ways I don't even trust… what I'm trying to say is that you're the only guy friend I've had that's never asked too much of me…"

Remus nodded. "And now I have and---"

"No! That's not it." She stopped, shook her head and began to laugh. "Wow, as if I already didn't have enough to think about."

Remus was decent enough to look guilty. "I'm sorry."

Her eyes softened when she looked at Remus again and she smiled. "I know you are and that's what makes this so hard for me to say."

"You don't have to. I know it wouldn't work out between us."

"But does it have to in that way?" Lily asked. "I mean, we weren't good just being friends before?"

"We are but I wouldn't have minded trying to see where this was going." Remus said.

She had nothing to say to that so she just leaned back and stretched her legs out.

"This probably was the wrong timing…" Remus started and smiled when Lily rolled her eyes. "And I know you and James have this thing going on but I felt that I would've been keeping something from you if I didn't come clean first about my feelings for you."

"Thank you." She said and she meant it.

"And I know not to say anything about your relationship with James---"

"What we have," Lily cut in and for the first time that day, looked truly sad, "It's not a relationship."

"Why not?" Remus frowned and sat down on the step below Lily.

"I'm not good enough to be with him." Lily whispered and she looked like she was about to cry.

"Who told you that? Did he? I'll---" She shook her head though, interrupting him.

"No, I just know. When he's tired of pretending he wants me, he'll just tell me to go. That'll be that. Which is why I'm not going to open up to him. He thinks he wants me to be honest with him and open up but he doesn't." Lily brought her hand up to wipe the tears slowly coming down her face.

"Open up about what?"

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "Things."

Remus nodded, looking at the floor.

"Things about… my past that I haven't ever told anyone. Things that I've done, that I've seen. I can see the way he resents the way I am already. I've tried so hard to be the kind of person he's not ashamed of. We've only been… together… for a month but I can already see it. I'll never get to where he needs me to be."

"Why can't you get to where _you_ need _you_ to be?" Remus asked, looking into Lily's bright emerald eyes.

She looked at him. "Because it's easier to try for someone else than it is to try for myself. I've already given up on myself but other people haven't."

Remus shook his head. "I've seen you, Lily. I've seen you fighting to stand up when you're drunk and high out of your mind. I've seen you with guys and how you let them treat you, some guys that are even pretty decent, they're tempted to control you, even. And now I see you with a confidence and an air about you that even Bella is drawn to. She won't admit it but she is. Same with every other person out there.

"You've changed your whole attitude around and for once, I bet, _you_ are proud of you. You're not ashamed to walk around with your head held high. Part of that is because James believes in you, sure. Even enough to probably buy you all the clothes and all the make-up in the world. But none of that can come about until you are completely at ease with whom you are. It doesn't come around when James or me or Bella is completely at ease with who you are. It starts with you and it ends with you."

By the end of Remus' long monologue, Lily's tears were flowing freely down her cheeks. He moved a step up and wrapped his arms around Lily as she sobbed into his shoulder. He rubbed her back comfortingly and when they both leaned back, he kissed her forehead and wiped the tears from her face.

"That was good…" She mumbled, wiping more tears from her cheeks and chin.

"Yeah," Remus sighed and smirked. "Are you sure you don't want to give us a go?"

She hit his shoulder and he laughed.

"Just kidding."

She rubbed her knees before looking at Remus. "I really do love you, Remus. And I'm sorry it's not in the way that you'd like but I do."

"I love you too." Remus whispered and shook his head. "And I think you should start telling James things about your past. Maybe it doesn't have to start with the most graphic of details but a little here and a little there… James needs stuff like that to continue attaching to the people around him. So do you."

"I'm scared."

"Although you two have a weird re… I mean, _thing_ going on… it's there. Whatever you choose to call it. And those _things_ don't flourish off of nothing. They start with something given each day until there's so much there that you're not willing to lose it for anything." Remus said and walked around Lily up the stairs. "I'll see you around, Lily."

…

James frowned when he heard his front door open and close. He shoved down the feeling of excitement at the prospect of Lily coming back upstairs when he remembered that they were fighting. He forgot what it felt like to worry about a girl not returning after an argument. He couldn't say he felt it much when he and Shauna had dated but he'd felt it only twice once he and Lily began sleeping together. They hadn't had many arguments but tensions lay just beneath the surface. Things he hoped would've cleared up by now but things that he doubted ever would until he acknowledged certain things that bothered him about Lily and she the same about him.

He crossed his legs out in front of him on his bed as he heard his bedroom door creak open and he looked over to see Lily step inside slowly. As she turned to shut the door quietly, his gaze traveled down her delicious looking body covered in the new clothes he'd bought for her. She wore low riding jeans and a white tank top that rode up her sides a little to show her midriff. When she turned around to face him, he was still drinking up the sight of her and even when she waited for him to meet her gaze, he allowed his eyes to glaze over with passion. He saw her inhale shakily and relaxed more into his bed when she strode over to stand beside the bed.

"Remus left." She whispered.

He nodded, his hooded eyes staring at the tan midriff just inches away from his face before he looked up into her eyes that mirrored his sexual thoughts. It was late morning but they both didn't care what time it was so long as they had sex whenever they damned well pleased. His hands reached over to tug her closer to him and she obliged, coming closer. She kicked off her sandals as she went and threw one leg over his hip so that she straddled his waist. When he tried to take off her tank top, she leaned back. She felt his arousal through his sweat pants pressing into her but she just sat on top of it, ignoring it.

"James…" She half said, half moaned.

"Mm…" His hand cupped her breast and she hopped off of him. He groaned. "What?"

She looked around the room and found a chair by the closet. She pulled it over and sat down.

"Lily." He said, sitting up. "What's wrong?"

She breathed in deeply and remembered Remus' words. "I think that we need to be honest with each other. Or… more specifically, I do."

He narrowed his eyes. "About what?"

"About my past." She answered, tilting her chin up and trying to keep the tears at bay. "And Lionel."

This caught his attention because he folded his arms and nodded. "Okay. I'm listening."

She shook her head. "I don't even really know where to start."

"Well, us people who have no idea what you're talking about, usually prefer that you start somewhere relatively close to the beginning." James said.

"It started with my father." Lily whispered and James closed his mouth. He knew she never talked about her father. He knew that when _his_ father called, she got this faraway look on her face like she was remembering times with her own dad. "When he died, I was sent here. To live with my mother, my sister, and my mother's boyfriend. Lionel."

James's lips twitched at the revelation. He had thought that Lionel was some old boyfriend or at the very least some guy he could blame her distance from him on. He ignored the embarrassing feelings emerging at remembering the comments he said to her earlier and forced himself to listen.

"He was terrible." Lily swallowed, not looking at him but to the side of him, almost as if she were remembering things she would never say. "He beat me _so_ many times. I tried to tell my mother about it, anyone really. Anyone I thought who would get him to stop. But no one believed me. Said I had problems with having a step-dad and that I was going through Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because of my dad's death. I wasn't, of course.

"I ran away a few times but Lionel had an in with a few of the policemen that would patrol our neighborhood. I was always sent back and when I was sure that no one would listen to me, I just stopped trying to convince people. Until I met Lucius."

There was silence for a moment and James looked at Lily, seeing that she was trying to recollect her nerve to continue. She did.

"When Lionel got so drunk and I thought he would hurt me permanently, I'd run away to Lucius." She shook her head. "You don't just run away to Lucius and everything's all dandy. No. Lucius expects things from you and he gets it."

James gritted his teeth. He really didn't like that guy. "What did he want from you?"

"He just wanted a girl. Different from the ones he always fooled around with. I thought he was a dream come true. Lionel found out about him, though, and even tried to do him in. Lucius was young but he had a lot more guns, if you know what I mean. I began promising Lucius everything because for a while, Lionel wasn't touching me anymore. I thought Lucius walked on water until one night when I saw something I'll never forget."

James frowned but didn't push.

"Anyways, I didn't think so highly of Lucius after that. That same night I started talking to this boy. He was older than I was but only by a few years, like you." Lily looked at him and James looked away, trying to hide the jealousy he knew was sure to erupt. She looked at him apologetically before continuing. "He was just annoying that night but after that, he looked me up at the school I was going to and from there, things just kind of happened."

James swallowed. "What happened? With… that?"

She closed her eyes and exhaled, before opening her eyes again. "He was… my first. He really cared about me. He looked after me, even from Lucius. Lionel had given up trying to scare Lucius but he hadn't with this boy. One night, Lionel found him and me in front of the house. My mother and sister were out, I can't even remember where but… all of a sudden, Lionel comes out with a gun and is threatening to shoot us if he doesn't leave. He grabs a hold of Lionel's gun and tells me to run."

James's eyes ticked down to where Lily clasped her hands together.

"'Run' he was telling me, 'Go!' I ran as fast as I could down a whole block before slowing down and stopping. I heard gunshots and I just lost it. I wanted to die, no matter who died because of those shots. Next thing I know, I'm staring at the gun in my face and Lionel is just taunting me, calling me a dirty whore and I'm begging him to just kill me. When I think he's going to, I hear another round of shots. _Pop pop pop._ Lionel's dead on the ground and Lucius is standing there and I'm wondering how Lucius found out and how I'm going to get out of there.

"It was all over the news but no one knew that Lucius or I had been involved. Lucius took care of it. He always does. I'd only seen one clipping and never once did they mention a boy who'd been shot trying to protect a girl from an evil bastard. Not once. I think Lucius took care of that, too. He probably figured that the boy would lead people to think that I had something to do with it."

When Lily finished, James sat there motionless. He thought back to when he had gone into the Pit after his mom had been shot in a drive-by incident and when Lily had freaked out on him because of his idiotic move to try and discover who'd done it.

"_Remus told me about that jackass lead investigator. I understand having things happen, knowing exactly who did it and wanting nothing more than to shoot that person into the ground. But trust me on this, Lucius isn't your guy."_

"I haven't ever forgiven myself for that night. I doubt I ever will." Lily said just above a whisper.

"It wasn't your fault." James found his voice.

"It was, though. I could've stayed away from him. He could've still been alive if it wasn't for me." Lily closed her eyes. "And now, with you, I just hope you don't get shot just because of your association with me."

"Why else?" James swung his legs around and scooted to the edge of the bed so that he was just inches away from Lily.

"What?" She frowned.

"Why else is it your fault?" James wanted to know.

"I'd called him over to… take things to the next step. He'd talked about moving to Hollywood and getting me my first job. He was into acting too…"

James nodded. "He was in love with you."

Lily paused, looking at James and nodding slowly. "He was."

"Were you?" For some reason, he knew that if she answered this question in one way, he wouldn't be able to look at her. He just wouldn't.

"I was…" She struggled for the right words. "I wasn't in the right place to love anyone. I'm still not, I don't think. I mean, I was only seventeen."

"Age doesn't account for feelings. Especially love. I wasn't asking if you wanted to marry him, just if you were in love with him." He didn't know why he was pushing for an answer but maybe it would cast some light on their situation. He always felt that he'd been the one to go further than her in the right areas but what if she'd known real love before him? But, he knew that wouldn't have been the reason he would be upset if she said yes.

"I… no." She looked up at him and shook her head. "I wasn't."

"You don't have to hide anything, Lily. If you were in love with him, it's not like we're like that or anything." He said.

Her eyes widened and she frowned, looking very awkward. "I wasn't lying. I wasn't in love with him."

"Okay, then." He said, irritated for some reason.

She narrowed her eyes at him, wondering what the hell his problem was but decided to leave it be. "I really cared for him and maybe if he'd been alive still, I would've probably fallen in love with him."

"Well, that's good for the two of you, then." He grumbled and stepped off the bed, walking past her out into the hall.

He was halfway to the living room when he felt Lily swing him around by the arm. He was about to say something before he felt her jump onto him, latching her legs around his waist tightly and felt her arms around his neck. Next, he felt her lips against his in a desperate kiss, begging for his mouth to open to hers. He obliged and allowed her tongue to sweep in to tag his tongue. They kissed like that until they both ran out of breath and she leaned back.

"Don't be jealous." She whispered into his ear before taking his earlobe between her teeth and gently, playfully biting it.

He turned slightly and pushed her up against his hallway wall. "I don't get jealous."

She laughed, leaning her head back against the wall. "Right."

"I don't." He frowned, the light comment oddly bothering him. He didn't get jealous and he was confused as to why he was jealous with her. He set her down and she looked up at him, questioningly.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing…" He said slowly. He tried to turn from her but she held onto his arm.

"You have something face." She insisted. "What gives?"

He frowned and looked at her. "Who was the guy that you '_almost_' fell in love with?"

She stared at him for a moment. "Huh?"

"The guy. You never once mentioned his name. What was it?"

She was quiet for a moment before she gave in.

"Chelsea…" She whispered quietly. "Chelsea Kiaz."

* * *

Please, please review! 


	14. About Voices and Relationships

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Voices and Relationships

**Chapter Began:** Sunday, June 10, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Sunday, June 17, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Sunday, June 17, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Warning:** _Very_ mature. You've been warned.

**Author's Note:** First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who's read, reviewed, and supported this story. It wouldn't be as fun or exciting without all of you. Secondly, apologies on the timing of this next chapter are deserved. I had computer problems again and I had to have everything fixed. Everything seems to be okay right now but who knows. Next, I want to address a few questions and comments that I've received in reviews.

The biggest question that seems to be out there is the topic of Chelsea Kiaz. I understand wholeheartedly everyone's confusion on who he is, if he is in fact a guy, and why would I name a guy a girl's name. I apologize to any girls whose name is Chelsea. I have a younger cousin whose name is Chelsea and it took me many days and will powers to name this character by that name and have it still remain a man.

The fact of the matter is, is that the name Chelsea Kiaz fit the characterization of his personality perfectly. When I thought of who this character was and what his name should be, I thought a girly sounding name would be completely admissible and fitting. Although Chelsea is a pretty name and everyone associates the name with a girl, I chose what I chose for reasons everyone will see in later chapters. Because I'm very proud of the ground work that I've laid out in this story, I will not revoke my decision on this character's name and hope that you will not retreat and no longer read this story. I promise things will be explained in due time but I can't say too much as that would ruin certain plots for people not as concerned with knowing everything right up front. _Note:_ if you're wondering who Chelsea Kiaz is, go to "About Curiosities and New Players." At the very beginning of Lily's dream, he's in there

Another thing I want to address is the kindness and consideration (and thought) put into the reviews you all send me. I'm very thankful that everyone is so nice even when it's hard to tell the writer that what he or she is writing confuses them or the grammar is off. Thank you all for the honesty and thought put into the reviews. It's much appreciated.

And last but not least, if the ideas keep coming and my pen continues to go crazy, I'm planning on having twenty-nine chapters plus the prologue. So the number that fanfiction shows… the ending of my story would end at the number thirty. So about sixteen chapters left.

**Chapter Thirteen: About Voices and Relationships**

"_A voice in my head, greater than mine or his or anyone else's, keeps telling me to take this moment, Lily… take this moment and run."_

"Now, I think you're supposed to add _that_ mixture to the---"

"No, I'm pretty sure---"

"_Trust_ me on this one, Bella. I think he said---"

"I don't _care_ what he said! It's quicker _this_ way."

Lily fixed the brunette with an incredulous stare. They'd been working on their partner lab that was worth a good 30 of their overall grade for two and a half hours now and they'd only managed to get to step eight. Her goal was to surpass Procedure C by noon but they'd had yet to complete the task they set out to do because Bella was always trying to find shortcuts and Lily wanted to do as instructed on the papers given to them when assigned the lab. They had only one month left before the due date and if they couldn't complete it, she thought that at least they would get points added for doing as much as possible correctly. However, Bella didn't seem to care much one way or another.

Bella ran a hand through her messily put hair and sighed. "Why does this lab have to be worth so much of our grade? Can't we just get graded for our effort?"

Lily turned from the table, bringing beakers and measurements with her. She rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, "If that were the case, I think we'd fail."

Bella turned to the redhead. "Excuse me?"

Lily set down the objects in the sink and turned to the other girl. "I _said_ that I don't think we'd do so well on effort."

Bella scoffed, folding her arms. "And you think it's because of _me_, do you?"

Lily frowned at Bella. "What?"

"You heard me." Bella stepped closer to her. "Listen, I've been taking this class _all_ semester unlike _some_ people. I have a solid B+ in the class and I don't intend for that grade to drop so don't act like you're the smart one of the two of us."

Lily opened her mouth to say something but they both heard the front door open and James call to them from the living room. She watched Bella give her a small smile before turning and walking to greet her older brother. Lily stood there, motionless for a couple of minutes before turning back to the sink to rinse out the objects.

Every time she thought the two girls had gotten past their differences, Bella managed to surprise her and bring them up without any warning. They'd been working on the lab for weeks now and only once in a while, when Bella came over really stressed, did she bring up their differences or throw Lily's past in her face. And every time that the brunette did so, Lily built it up in herself to speak out for herself, to defend herself but when she opened her mouth to say something, either nothing came out or they were interrupted and it seemed as though Bella had won again.

Irritated, Lily set the cleaned beakers on the counter beside the sink. Once she rinsed the glass measurement cups out and set them beside the beakers, she turned and gasped. James had somehow managed to get into the kitchen behind her without making a sound. She walked into the hard wall of his chest and scared herself. When she looked up and saw the mischievous grin on his face, she raised her hand to smack him on the chest. However, he caught her wrist and placed a finger over her mouth to silence whatever protests she might have. He walked her back until he was pressing her back into the edge of the counter and sink.

"James---" She managed to whisper before his lips descended on hers.

It felt too good for her to stop him right away. Their lips sliding mindlessly over each other's drove her crazy sometimes and with the added so called "danger" of Bella discovering them, made it so that it was a given that he'd drive her crazy with this kiss. His lips were cool and when his tongue darted out, she immediately opened her mouth for him. His tongue slipped between her lips like a cool wave and she fought back a moan that threatened to come out from the back of her throat.

Her hands splayed across his chest and worked their way up to his neck and into his dark messy hair. Her fingers massaged their way on his scalp and he let out what sounded like a small growl or purr. She felt his erection pressing into her stomach and she leaned up on her tiptoes and rubbed her body against his. She felt him groan against her mouth and she smiled, satisfied.

He pressed her harder against the counter and instinctively she parted her legs. He stepped between them and the part of her mind that remembered that his sister was still out in the living room kept her from throwing a leg on his hip and grinding into him more wantonly. She wanted to so very badly but she doubted they'd be able to stop at just the grinding part. She'd been down this avenue with James before and knew, for a fact, that he wouldn't be satisfied with the outcome unless one or both of them enjoyed the benefits of an orgasm.

Sense started to tickle at her brain and her desires urgently shushed it away. She wanted this, even needed it sometimes. Some mornings, she craved James's touch so much so that when his arms weren't wrapped around her the mornings he had to get to a class early enough, she felt cold and horribly alone. She'd begun to feel emotionally attached to James and it really all stemmed from her sharing more and more of her past with him. Although he shared less with her than she did with him, she could tell he knew that what they had was more than physical. They never talked about it but somehow, they understood each other in ways only people emotionally connected could understand one another.

Of course when things really had just begun to heat up in an important way such as achieving completion with the one she was very attached to, things began to go entirely wrong. Sensing something was not right, Lily slowly shook herself from the daze of kissing James and managed to pull back slowly. When he tried to recapture her lips again with his, she placed a finger on his lips and swallowed. When her breathing finally labored, she hesitantly looked up into James's eyes. Another pair of eyes, shocked brown eyes, looked back at her along with James's.

She knew then that Bella had witnessed her brother making out with the reject of the school.

…

"---A-a-and they were _groping_ each other like they were… just… _ugh_! It was _obscene!_" Bella managed to get out, staring at Sirius and Remus who sat on her dorm room bed. Both had the same sort of expression on their faces and it irritated Bella. "_So_?" She eyed them expectantly.

"So… what?" Remus raised an eyebrow.

Bella motioned helplessly with her arms. "So, what are we going to do about it?"

Remus gave a shrug. "There's nothing really we can do, is there? They're in a… _thing_ that nobody really saw coming---"

Sirius raised his hand. "I did!"

Bella shot him an incredulous look. "I thought you said that you knew James and that he wouldn't ever. Evans, on the other hand---"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "_Of course_ I knew what was going to happen."

Bella glared at him but Sirius chose to continue.

"They're in a beautiful apartment all by themselves with nothing to do but twiddle their thumbs 'till they figure out that one's a boy and one's a---"

Remus waved Sirius's comment away. "Anyway, the point is that when I talked to Lily about what's going on---"

"You talked to her about it? You knew about it?" Bella narrowed her eyes at the sandy blonde haired guy sitting in front of her. "And you didn't tell us?"

Remus shook his head. "It was none of my business---"

Sirius looked at his best friend incredulously. "Like it was none of your business when you and Bella started talking about our relationship behind my back?"

Bella frowned. "_Huh_?"

Remus swallowed. "We didn't talk about your relationship behind your back. She wanted someone to talk to and---"

"Is that how it went with Evans?" Bella glared at Remus. "Did she want someone to talk to and you were right there?"

Sirius folded his arms and looked at Remus too. "Yeah, mate, you're the one that knows a bit of everyone's relationships. Tell us about Evans's with Prongs."

Remus sent the other man a cold stare. "It's not my place to tell you anything."

"Are you sure?" Sirius challenged. "Or are you still trying to have a go at her?"

Bella frowned again. "Wait, who's having a go at who?"

"Nobody!" Remus raised his voice and stood up, turning away from Sirius and Bella. "Nobody, okay? Everyone is nicely paired with the one they think they'll be with for the rest of their lives."

"Everyone except you, mate." Sirius concluded quietly.

"Wait," Bella was still very confused. "Evans thinks she's paired with James for the rest of her life?" The brunette snorted. "That's a _joke_, if I ever heard one."

"Why not?" Remus turned to face them again.

"So you're not denying she thinks that then?" Sirius frowned and then looked away. "Someone has to tell James---"

"She doesn't think she'll be with him for the rest of her life." Remus said, his voice clearly showing his exasperation. The two brunettes closed their mouths and listened. "Jeez, you guys need to listen. What I'm saying is that they're not in a relationship and they're not planning on spending the rest of their lives together. What they have, they don't even know yet. And if we continue to sit here and scrutinize whatever they have, we could possibly be destroying the only way out for Lily."

"Who cares about Evans?" Bella scrunched her nose in dislike.

"I do." Remus said simply. "I do a lot and I think she has a real chance at doing something amazing here. And James, our best friend, the one who, although we respect him in the highest ways possible, could never be persuaded to once step into a soup kitchen or the Shelter without expecting something in return. He, of all people, might be the reason she turns her whole life around and although the three of us sit here and think they won't work? What does it matter what we think or they think about _their_ relationship? Their lives could be bettered because of this whole experience.

"And so I'm asking you to just let it alone. No matter how much you dislike Lily or think that James is making a mistake as far his reputation goes, just let it alone. See what happens and if there's blood and gory and heartbreak involved, the both of them will be better off for _themselves_ in the long run, is all I'm saying."

When Remus finished, the two brunettes stared at him for many minutes. He breathed in and out fiercely and with a wonder, thought about the fact that he'd been giving speeches for a while now and seriously considered taking a class on it some day in the future. However, he really wanted to see his friends' reaction on what he'd just said.

Sirius was the first to speak. "I still knew it would happen."

Bella nodded and looked at her boyfriend. "And after all the times I told you that I thought it was happening, you denied it. You're such a liar."

Sirius shrugged. "I can't help it. Makes me feel sexy."

Bella whacked him on the shoulder. "Really? Because I can't tell the difference."

Sirius managed to give her a look of indignity. "I don't know whether to be offended or---"

"Guys---" Remus tried to cut into their conversation but they remained focused on each other.

"Oh, be offended. You look cuter that way." Bella climbed on his lap and pecked him on the cheek.

"Guys---"

"But you didn't let me finish." Sirius whined and wrapped his arms around her casually.

"Oh, you weren't done?"

"You two are ridiculous." Remus muttered, folding his arms.

"Absolutely not. I still was going to say---"

"Does this mean you agree with me?" Remus asked, raising his voice over Sirius's.

Bella laughed and hugged Sirius closer to her. "You were going to say what? I couldn't hear you."

"Oh, just that---"

"You know what? Forget it. Why do I even bother?" Remus turned away and started to walk out of the dorm room.

Bella laughed from behind him and climbed out of Sirius's lap to chase after Remus. She pulled him back and turned him around. She grinned up at him. "Of course we agree with you, Remus."

"How was I supposed to know? You just completely disregarded---"

"That long and intense speech that gave me the shivers?" Sirius finished for his best friend with a smirk. "Jeez, mate, write a long book, will you? That speech was _long_."

"Well, I wanted you guys to understand---" Remus tried but Bella interrupted him.

"Look, it wasn't _that_ freaky to see James lip-locking with Evans." When Sirius coughed, Bella amended, "Okay, it was a _little_ but that was just because it was so unexpected, so out there that no matter how or what anyone said, I would've still gotten the heebie-jeebies. And even though you think Evans is really trying to turn her life around, part of me is still very protective of my brother. I don't want to see him get hurt or mixed up in the wrong crowd. But, if it makes you feel better, I'll go down to James's apartment and make with the friendly with Evans so there'll be no hard feelings."

Remus regarded her with a stern look. "I only want you to reconcile your differences with Lily only if that's what _you_ want to do."

"Well, then, I'll work up to that point." Bella said and Remus pursed his lips together. She cracked a smirk and waved her comment off. "I'm just kidding. I'll still go down tomorrow to make nice."

Remus smiled and wrapped his arms around Bella. They hugged.

Sirius stared at the two hugging each other and stood up, stretching. "Okay so now that we've hugged and kissed and made up, how's about we go get some food?"

Remus and Bella pulled away from each other.

"How come every time we decide to go out, you always want food?" Bella wondered.

"I have to keep my appetite up for you-know-what." He winked at Bella, causing her to blush.

Remus rolled his eyes. "I'd prefer you two keep those sort of comments to yourself. Or else I might just start to get friendly with the idea of telling James about the two of you."

Sirius laughed. "Yeah, right. He still doesn't know?" He continued to laugh but upon the silence of Remus and Bella, his smile vanished immediately. "You're kidding me right?"

Remus and Bella walked out of the dorm room leaving Sirius there in silence.

"He still doesn't know? Nobody slipped it to him casually?" No answer. "Guys?"

…

Lily frowned, looking out the window of the second floor of the Shelter. The window was cracked open and she could feel a light breeze caress the hand placed on the windowsill. She closed her eyes and pretended that it was some spirit placing their hand over hers and comforting her, telling her that it was alright to feel the way she was feeling right then. The gentle caress told her that it was all right to think she deserved the thing she wanted.

Lily Evans simply wanted James Potter to choose her.

After Lily had pulled away from James and their embrace, they'd watched Bella sputter out words of shock and surprise. All the brunette could utter out was _why?_ Why, indeed. When James wanted to speak to Bella, he asked Lily to leave the apartment for a few hours so that he could spend some time with his sister, to try and calm her down. When he asked her if she was okay and if she understood, she lied and put on a strong front before walking out of his apartment.

This was it. This was the end. Lily had seen it coming from day one even before they began sleeping with each other. She knew it would have to end soon, the happiness she'd felt with James. She'd almost kidded herself into thinking that it could last a little bit. But James was only a temporary gift and looking back at all the good she'd accomplished while she'd been with him, she knew she couldn't give it all away to drugs and the Underground again. She couldn't do it. So, she decided right then that she would continue on with this life she'd started to lead and reconciled within herself that James was only the appetizer, he was only a small gift in her new world compared to the biggest gift her new world could offer her some day.

Still, though, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was losing a part of herself by suddenly being separated from the one guy she'd truly felt connected to for the first time in her life. Fear flooded through her when she realized that she might never find another guy like James again, that he might be the one for her.

Thinking back to the way he'd surprised her earlier that day with that kiss, just the simplicity that even though his sister was in the next room, that he couldn't wait, turned her stomach over in happiness. What they had, what they shared for just a second in time, she would cherish that and some day when they met each other again, Lily would be able to smile upon James in happiness and gratitude that he showed her life.

"Lily, what are you doing up here?"

Lily turned to see Annette walk into the room and she shrugged. "I was just thinking."

"Ooh," Annette stood beside the redhead, staring out of the window to across the street. "About what?"

"Honestly?"

The older woman looked at Lily, surprised. "Well, I would assume anything you'd choose to tell me was honest so… of course. Honestly."

Lily looked out of the window again and said so softly that Annette had to strain to hear, "James."

"Hmm." Annette placed her hands on the windowsill and widened her stance. "Are you and my son having relationship problems?"

The redhead quickly looked at Annette who raised an eyebrow at the younger woman.

"Do you really think my son could have a relationship without me having some idea?" She laughed. "I'd changed his diapers for too long not to know my son and when he was trying to hide something from everyone."

Lily bit her lower lip, fighting back tears. "Well, lucky for you, we're not in any sort of relationship. It's just a thing."

"Well, shame on the both of you." Annette said simply and nudged Lily casually. She pointed with her other hand to outside across the street. "Do you see the dark green jeep behind the red Durango?"

Lily looked and nodded when she saw the jeep parked behind the red car. There looked like there was a man sitting inside, reading a magazine or a newspaper because he had his glasses on and he looked like he'd been sitting there for a long time. "What is he---?"

Annette smiled and nudged Lily again, pointing to the other side of the street. "Do you see that other man leaning against the tree, trying to look casual?"

Lily looked and sure enough, there was a man dressed casually, leaning against one of the trees on Shelter property. He looked too old to be a student here at PAU. "What are they doing here?"

Annette laughed, shaking her head. "It's what I have to deal with every day until my husband decides it's okay for me to travel without private investigators following me."

"They're here for you?" Lily looked at Annette to see the older woman nod her head. For a second, Lily was going to ask her why she had all sorts of cops following her but then it hit her. "Because of the drive-by?"

Annette nodded. "Yeah, since that whole ordeal, my husband refuses to give up on finding the person responsible for endangering us both."

Lily's eyes averted to the floor and she felt guilt wrap itself around her. "About that, I'm so---"

"Hey, don't apologize." Annette interrupted her. "It's actually done a lot for me. Nicholas decided to put me through this defense class that I'm actually rather enjoying. Gives me something of a break to this place."

Lily nodded, closing her mouth.

"But I apologize for interrupting you." The older woman smiled kindly. "You were talking about what's been on your mind. Please continue."

"No, I'll---" Lily started to decline but Annette interrupted her.

"Please."

Lily breathed in deeply before exhaling slowly. "I don't know where to start."

"You'd just begun with James." Annette offered.

The redhead shook her head and scratched her eyebrow before looking down. "James and I are---_were_ in a relationship. Of some type. A thing. To spare you the details, no one knew about it until Remus but he didn't say anything to anyone. Then Bella was over today and she found out and James asked me to leave so here I am."

Lily hesitantly looked at Annette, waiting for some kind of response but the older woman just looked at her in silence. She wondered if Annette would want to smack her for sleeping with her son who was going places and could have any woman he desired. She wondered what could possibly be going through Annette's mind and she tried to figure it out through Annette's eyes but the woman held no visible emotions that were strong enough for Lily to recognize. The silence soon became too much.

"Okay, are you upset or… do you want to, I don't know, strangle me or something?" Lily asked blandly. She'd already lost James so whatever anger Annette harbored could quickly dissipate in seconds once Lily revealed the rest of the story.

Annette laughed and stood up taller. "Strangle you?"

Lily gave a half-hearted shrug. "I don't know. I'm kind of… or I was kind of with your son."

"Honey, if I wanted to strangle every girl that was in a relationship with my son, I'd be a pretty crazy old lady, don't you think? And I consider myself rather sane and rational, hmm?" Annette shook her head. "I don't, in the _least_ bit, want to strangle you and am not at all upset that you were _kind of_ with my son."

"You don't?" Lily asked in a little voice. She loved this woman so, so much.

"Of course not." Annette said with a kind smile. "And am not."

Relief washed over Lily. She couldn't describe the feelings that she felt.

"What is this thing you describe with James, though?"

Lily's smile wore off and she shrugged. "Just a thing. It wasn't a relationship. Just… you know, a thing."

"Sweetheart, if you never define your situation, you'll always be in a constant state of disappointment. No matter _how_ happy you see yourself becoming in the future." Annette said softly. "Try to define it."

"Right now?" Lily asked surprised. She sniffled and knew she wouldn't cry here but they were so close, those tears.

Annette shrugged. "Good a time as any."

Lily thought for a moment. "I don't know, really. I guess I don't know what it is we have or why we have it. I'm not pretty, or strong, or smart. I don't have any guarantees of this lasting forever. I guess all I really do have are his arms wrapped around me every morning when I wake up and his lips kissing me every night that I come home. It's _not_ something that'll last forever but it _is_ something that I'll cherish long after it's done. And every time I get sad or down about it, about _him_, there's always a voice in my head, louder than mine or his or anyone else's, that keeps telling me to _take this moment, Lily… take this moment and run_."

The tears fell then and she had no control of them. She felt the warm liquid slide down her face and she only helplessly brought her hands up to wipe them away. Annette gathered the younger woman into her arms and Lily allowed herself to cry tears she'd been holding back ever since she began this thing with James. Now that the truth was out on the table for James's family and friends, the situation seemed more real and it was breaking her heart.

When she felt Annette pull back, she didn't look up or try to wipe her tears away. Part of her wondered why the older woman pulled back but when she felt those familiar strong arms wrap around her shoulders, she just let go. Her arms encircled his neck and she clung to him as she cried and cried. Her body shook with tears as he held her close against him. She felt him press a kiss to her forehead on her hairline. She pulled back and they slowly met eyes. She was only barely aware that Annette had left the room so that they could have some privacy.

"I looked all over my neighborhood for you. And then all over campus." James said, using his hands to wipe her tears away.

She smiled shakily. "I was here."

James smirked. "I can see that."

She half-heartedly whacked him on the chest and he laughed. She continued to lean on him for support though. "Why are _you_ here? I thought you were talking to Bella and you asked me to leave."

"Well, when I finished, I thought you might be waiting across the street or…" When she glanced down, he stopped and she could see, when she looked up, realization hit him. "When I asked you to leave, you thought I meant for good."

Frustration rose quickly within her and she glared at him. "Well, what I was supposed to think when you ask me to leave like that and what we have is already shaky."

James finished wiping her tears away and he stepped back from her after making sure she was okay standing on her own. "I don't know. I didn't think you'd---"

"That's right. Because you don't think, do you?" Lily raised her voice, staring coldly at James.

"Whoa, okay. I came here, looking for you---"

"And you found me. Now what?" Lily asked, knowing she was walking a fine line here between having James and not having him. She was taking a risk and it was fucking _scary_. No thrills whatsoever involved. "You take me back to your apartment so that you can fuck me anytime you want but completely disregard the fact that I'm human and I have emotional needs and expectations? Because if that's what you came here for, you're sadly mistaken. I'm not going to be whisked off back to your apartment to resume being your _fuck_ doll."

James stared at the redhead shocked.

Quietly to herself, she muttered, "Although I enjoyed it a _little_ bit."

It was then that he smiled. "So, is this you asking if we have a thing?"

"No," Lily surprised him and his smile wore off. "This is me asking if we have a _relationship_."

Her last statement was met with silence and she shifted on her feet. The truth was that she was hoping for a miracle but expecting another heartbreak in the series that she'd developed with James. Of course she wanted him to say that they would have a relationship but what were, honestly, the odds of that occurring? He'd been in relationships with people like Shauna for fuck's sake!

His silence was bothering her and she suddenly started to wonder if this _was_ really it. When she took a chance and looked up to see his expression, she saw that he really seemed to be weighing his options, pros and cons altogether. She started to think, though, that a man really sure of whether he wanted to be in a relationship, would have made a quicker decision and a man, either too guilty or too kind, would prolong the making of his decision to let the woman make it for him. She tried to ignore the pain twisting in her gut as she realized that he was probably doing just that and she opened her mouth to speak but he interrupted her.

"I'm not really the type of guy who looks for commitment and romance." He started to say and a voice in the back of her head told her to turn away right then. Just turn and walk away because she was about to get her heart shattered into a million pieces and the only thing she could possibly save was her dignity. But she couldn't. "I'm not good at that kind of stuff." He shrugged.

She stared at him and it seemed as though he'd finished. She nodded slowly and felt the tears sting at her eyes again. Damn it, it seemed as though she'd been crying all the time lately. She blinked forcefully a few times as she turned and walked away from James. She made it out into the hallway of the upstairs before she felt James whirl her around. She tried to push away from him but he backed her into the opposite wall and pressed himself into her.

"You didn't let me finish." James said, gritting his teeth as she tried to wiggle out of his hold. She barely recognized that her wiggling had side effects. She quickly felt his erection pressing into her stomach. "If you would just _stop_."

"Stop what?" She banged her fists against his chest as a way to try and escape his body but he only pressed more insistently against her. "I already know what you're going to say."

"No, you don't. Because if you did, you wouldn't walk away from me." He swallowed harshly and glared into her emerald eyes. "If you don't stop doing _that_ against me, you and I are going to quickly become acquainted sexually up against the wall of a Shelter. I have no shame but my mother might not like the idea too much."

She blushed crimson red and slowed her attempts to a stop.

"Look, before you start trying to walk away from me like a crazy woman, let me at least finish what I started to say." James said, annoyed.

"Yes, let's hear you tell me that you don't want a relationship with me." Lily hissed through her teeth.

He frowned deeply. "_No_, what I was going to say was that as long as you don't expect me to remember dates and to be amazing at this whole boyfriend thing 'cause I wasn't with Shauna and I'm not ever, then I do want a relationship with you. That is, if you want one with me." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "And I can't stand being all sappy so if you could just cut to---"

Lily didn't think twice and immediately pressed her lips to his. They breathed as one and opened their mouths to each other for an intense kiss. Her legs parted and he pressed himself between her thighs and the two, for a couple of minutes, forgot that they were in a Shelter. His tongue explored her neck as she leaned her head back against the wall before she tapped him on the shoulder.

He looked up at her. "Hmm?"

"If you don't stop that, you and I are going to get acquainted with having sex up against your mother's favorite painting." She nodded to the painting that Annette pointed out from time to time as being her favorite.

James murmured something incoherent against her neck before stepping away from her.

"What was that?" Lily fixed her clothes and looked at James.

"I said then let's take this back to my apartment where you will _not_ be my secret fuck doll."

She couldn't help it. She allowed herself to smile mischievously. "I don't know. I kind of like the idea."

He grinned.

…

**A/N:** All right, so that was pretty difficult to write. In a big way. One important thing I'd definitely like to point out is that the story isn't over yet. Although this ended on a good note, there are still problems lurking about. I just wanted to really move the story along so that we weren't dealing with the same issues when the next chapter comes along where James and Lily are secret lovers and blah blah blah. It was getting very old and they need to progress in order to attain some kind of love that they're supposed to have by the time this story ends. There's still a long way to go and I hope I haven't made anyone fall asleep while reading my story. LOL.

But, anyways, please tell me what you thought and please, don't hesitate to ask questions or make comments on anything to do with the story.


	15. About Informants and Dates

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Informants and Dates

**Chapter Began:** Sunday, June 17, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Wednesday, July 11, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Wednesday, July 11, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Warning:** _Very_ mature. You've been warned.

**Author's Note:** Thank you for the amazing reviews I've received on the last chapter. That had been a very one for me to write, as with this next one. It's important for me to say that although James and Lily are finally a couple, things will not simmer down. Plots will be taken to new levels and my writing ability, as well as your patience in reading my story, will only get deeper.

This chapter marks the midway point for this entire story. Before writing this chapter, I outlined every chapter from here on out and now know _exactly_ what will happen, when people you haven't seen in a while will appear, and the fun, romance, and drama that will occur between the main characters. It's kind of exciting for me, if you know where I'm coming from.

A special warning for this chapter, as I promised I would provide... there is a maturity warning on this chapter for sexual content. Only one scene, really, that might disturb some of you. It's in italics and if it bothers you, please just skip over it. It's not _that_ important to the chapter and you won't miss anything by doing so. Promise.

In the reviews, I received a few questions. If Lucius and Shauna will return. Absolutely. The next two chapters after this one will mainly focus on our main protagonists, before shifting to the _entire_ group of characters I've mentioned thus far. Everyone should see Lucius and Shauna appear in the seventeenth installment (Chapter Sixteen) for the long-awaited banquet at the Shelter.

Another question is about when this story is taking place and if it's in the winter, there should be Holidays and Christmas. There will be Holidays and Christmas. Very soon, actually. The Holidays, I mean.

And now, one last note before I allow you to read my latest installment: this chapter is _fifteen_ pages long, longer than my usual. I hope you enjoy!

**Chapter Fourteen: About Informants and Dates**

"_Detective Moody, right? With the Auror Headquarters? I have some information that will definitely be of interest to you. It circulates around the Potter case and with my help; you'll be able to close it a lot faster than you would be able to without my help. So, this is how it's going to work: Tomorrow night, eight o'clock, Juan Lot in South Central. I'll give you a ten-minute window assuming there's traffic. No spots will be needed, only a driver. The only condition I'll be strict about is your obedience in bringing a redhead by the name of Lily Evans with you. You do everything I ask and you close your case. Understand?"_

Detective Moody gulped down the contents in his flask, closing his eyes against the burning sensation that traveled from the tip of his tongue down the esophagus of his throat. When it reached the area of his torso, he shifted uncomfortably and let out a slow, loud burp. It reverberated against the walls of his inner office at the Headquarters and would've disturbed anyone walking by had anyone been present.

It was about eleven o'clock into the night and no one (except Moody, of course) occupied the building. He'd been going over the Potter file for a couple of hours, determined to close the case within the next month or so and trying to find a window of opportunity. He found nada, however, and his growing frustration at the determination of rich people getting shot at made him groan more than once during his search for something, _anything_.

Why was it that people with money usually made people like him work hard for things like _drive-bys_? He remembered back in the day when he used to live Watts, where drive-bys would happen all of the time. No one had ever made a running leap for the police station unless someone had actually gotten hurt. Leave it to people like Nicholas Potter to make a drive-by into such a big ordeal.

So why was Moody spending so much time on the Potter case if he thought that drive-bys were no reason to get huffy puffy about? Well, this _particular_ case, the fact that the people _involved_ jingled money in their big, expensive suits and dresses was the reason Moody thought that the drive-by had occurred in the _first_ place. He'd dealt with incidents where a local gang would pinky choose a wealthy family and enjoy terrorizing them for a little while. Usually, the gang would end up demanding money and so the story went.

Moody was a creature of instinct, had always been. Back in the academy days, training to become a detective for LAPD, he'd often been a loner and inevitably, had been the joke of the team back then. While others training just like him relied on the facts and the history of a particular situation, Moody had sought innovative and crafty ways to solve his cases. It had put him on the map with his captain and not too long afterward, he was being promoted faster than they could sing that awful song, _"Mad-Eye Moody…"_

His instincts went haywire with this Potter case, though. He'd started off only mildly interested, actually having his team dig up information while he worked on the other smaller projects they had going for them. It was some time when they'd brought in that Snape character that his interest actually started to stir and rise. When they couldn't get that man off on anything, Moody decided to take the case into his own hands.

His gut told him that a piece was missing from the puzzle, something that he and his team must've overlooked while looking at the police reports: a name, a face, a description, _anything_. That was when he received his first phone call about the Potter case and the informant had listed off his terms. This had just made Moody's interest skyrocket. Something was bigger here than they'd previously thought and he wanted more than ever to figure it out.

That's when the informant said barely above a whisper, "Lily Evans."

Moody's heart beat faster, his palms broke out into a sweat, and his gut clenched excitedly. _That was it._ He'd remembered earlier on in the investigation, his team had tried tracking down the girl who'd happened to be with Mrs. Potter the night that the drive-by had occurred. Annette Potter had provided the name of the girl and someone had written it down but no more information had been found out about this mystery girl. She was around the daughter's age and that was all they'd managed to find out.

He had agreed to the informant's terms. He'd been just _that_ desperate to find out more. After his short phone call with the contact, he'd immediately sent out his best trackers to get information about the possible whereabouts of a Lily Evans at eight o'clock tomorrow night. He intended to get that information, whatever information the informant would have for him. It seemed pretty definite that it would propel the case along quite nicely. The only real question in Moody's mind now was about this Evans girl.

Who the hell was she and what did she have to do with this case?

…

Bella watched as Lily Evans stepped out of the passenger side of the brunette's BMW and closed the door. She then went to the back car door and opened that one, hauling shopping bags over both her arms and struggling to remain standing. The redhead, in an attempt to grab all of the bags, almost tumbled backwards and Bella threw her head back against her beach-covered seats and let out a light laugh. Lily gave her a look before stepping back and closing the back car door.

Bella rolled down the window and said with a bit of humor in her voice, "Are you all set now?"

Lily bit her lower lip, a gesture Bella had learned today that had meant she was worried or thinking about something deep. "I guess."

"Don't worry about James." The brunette's eyes were filled with warmth. "_He's_ the one who gave you the Master card, _he's_ the one who'll have to deal with the consequences." Bella smiled a mischievous smile and gave an innocent shrug. "We were just having a bit of fun."

"Yeah, the _bit_ just gave me outfits and shoes that will last me the entire _winter_."

Bella laughed. "Have fun tonight on your date."

Lily nodded and turned. Bella was about to kick her car into drive when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lily suddenly turn around. "Hey, um… thank you – you know, for all of this. The shopping and um---"

Bella smiled kindly. "Hey, it was the least I could do for the way I've been treating you lately. Besides, we both kind of found out that the other is not as bad as we thought."

Lily nodded but said quietly, "Thank you, still."

"Thank _you_."

Lily flashed the other girl the brilliant smile that she was sure the redhead had used only on her mother and her brother, the only two people (at the time) who she trusted enough to be herself around. Bella watched Lily walk into the apartment building, hauling her eight or nine bags over her shoulder and back, before Bella pulled away from the curb.

Bella had stayed true to her word to Remus and had shown up at James's apartment with a friendly smile and nervous, shaky hands. She'd left his apartment the night before on pretty bad terms and she didn't know how much of that sediment had actually settled, or if it had even just a _little_ bit. She was surprised to see Lily open the door and so had begun the awkwardness of asking the redhead if she wanted to shop with Bella for a couple of hours. She knew Lily needed more clothes and she loved to shop and assist people in finding cute outfits so she figured they couldn't get into _that_ many arguments.

Ooh had Bella been _wrong_.

They had gotten into _zilch, nada, nothing_.

Once they'd gotten into Bella's car, silence seemed to envelope them. She'd had to turn on some radio to drown out the awkward silence and it wasn't long before she'd heard the song she'd been dying to hear all that morning. She began to sing the words underneath her breath and when she was about to stop, she'd seen from the corner of her eyes, Lily whispering the same words. They'd held each other's gaze at the stoplight and just before the light turned green, Bella had reached over and turned the volume up for as loud as it would go. They began belting out the words, not caring who saw them or if they were horribly embarrassing themselves.

When the song had ended, Bella had laughed, shaking her head and turning the volume back down. For the rest of the car ride, she seemed to sense Lily's ease now and it made her sit back comfortably in her seat, pleased that she knew now that everything would be okay; and all of the nerves she'd built up on her car ride to James's apartment to request that they go shopping had finally simmered down.

For the rest of the morning, they'd gone into almost every store. It was about when Lily began looking (quite indiscreetly) at dresses that she'd revealed to Bella that James was taking Lily out on their first official date that night. It had taken Bella a moment to digest the very real fact that her brother and Lily _Evans_ were an item before Bella put on her bright smile and guided Lily to the dresses that would accentuate Lily's figure _best._

The redhead was _beautiful_.

That was something she hadn't expected from Evans, the former reject of the campus turned girlfriend of her older brother, actual _student_ at PAU, and waitress at the joint down the street from James's apartment. It was something she thought Evans would never be labeled, but this—this _Lily_ was something like a pretty, shy, young thing. She was sweet, generous, innocent, and _vulnerable_; a complete transformation from the hard, swearing, and cold girl she'd met at the beginning of the year.

There was something in Lily's smile, her _real_ smile, which set off something in Bella. She didn't know if Lily was older or younger than she was but that smile made Bella want to watch after the redhead and protect the rare sight of that smile. She now began to understand James's attraction to the smaller woman. There was a beauty in Lily that was rare in good-looking women. A combination of innocence and vulnerability, mischief and sex appeal, a childlike wonder and curiosity that was uninhibited, untamed, and wild.

She could see _definitely_ why her older brother was attracted to Lily Evans, past the history of drugs, alcohol, and sex. She could see why _any_ man would be attracted to Lily. She had a way about her that Bella knew men and women alike would love and find adorable. She'd caught herself smiling and laughing at the little things Lily said or did that only, she discovered, _Lily_ would say or do. She found herself wishing, for the first time, that she had someone like Lily around all of the time.

It was then she realized that she would, of course now, have Lily around all of the time. And she felt… fine. Better than fine. There came a point in their shopping date where they'd eaten at Bertuccis and talked out their differences. Bella had explained her aggravation and feelings about the redhead while Lily had spoken about her irritation at Bella's constant judging of her. Bella never liked to hear what was wrong with her or what she needed to fix about her behavior but she listened with diplomacy and a calm she would never use had it not been for Lily's obvious nervousness and hesitation.

Nearing the end of their meal, the two young women had finished their deep conversation and had actually gotten up and given each other a hug. Bella wasn't used to hugging girls but it had seemed natural for the two of them to conclude their conversation with one so Bella had chosen to do so and it hadn't been bad at all. None of this day had turned out the way she'd dreaded it would.

Lily Evans was okay in Bella's book.

_Okay, indeed._

…

"_Twenty-one, baby!" _

James laughed as he watched Sirius Black parade around the basketball cage outside. They'd played a relatively long game of twenty-one and in the end, Sirius had come out on top. Their athletic abilities were well matched and James knew there'd always be next time so he shrugged off Sirius's hollering and walked over to take a seat on one of the bleachers. He stretched his legs out in front of him and bent over slightly, trying to get the kink out of his lower back. He felt the bleachers dip underneath his weight but didn't bother looking up.

"What's the matter? My victories got you soar?" Sirius poked James on the shoulder and leaned back to watch a group of kids play their own game of twenty-one. "Or does Evans got you working late into the night?"

James sat up straight and fixed his best friend with a look. Sirius ignored it. "_Lily_, and I thought you couldn't talk about her without---"

"Well, it's weird for me, all right?" Sirius waved off James's sentence. "The bloody skillet against my _bloody_ skull is what it is."

James narrowed his eyes, frowning. "What does that even mean?"

"It _means_," Sirius gritted his teeth, scratching his itchy knee, "I don't understand you two and I'm trying real hard, mate, but I'm coming up blank. Why Ev—_Lily_?"

"_Whoa, whoa, whoa_…" James pointed at Sirius. "_You're_ the one who was saying how I was the only guy who hadn't wanted to have sex with Lily and you weren't just _saying_ anything, Padfoot. You were saying it like I should be."

"Okay, I admit I gave you a hard time---"

James shook his head. "No, you didn't. But this is how it is, okay?"

Sirius closed his mouth.

"I remember your share of girls that you dated that I wasn't too fond of but I dealt with it. This is exactly what _this_ is, okay? _Understand_." James stood up and wiped his sweaty palms against the jersey material of his shorts. "I have to go pick up my suit from the tailor so I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."

Sirius watched his best friend walk over to retrieve the basketball off of the pavement. Evans—_Lily_ shouldn't even bother him much. Actually, on the contrary, she didn't. Not really. I mean, sure, he expected _way_ better for his best mate but it sort of made sense.

No, what really was bothering him was something that had absolutely _nothing_ to do with the redhead but something he'd been keeping a secret for a couple of months now. In a way, he saw what he'd been doing to James and the reason behind it. If he was going to be the kind of friend he expected James and Remus to be, he needed to be straight with James about everything and _everyone_ he was allowing in _his_ life.

That had to start now.

"James, wait up!"

The other man turned and watched as Sirius ran to catch up with him.

"There's something I, um, I need to be honest with you about."

James shrugged, taking note of Sirius running a nervous hand through his hair.

"What is it?"

…

Last night… flashback 

"_Are you almost done in there or what?"_

_Lily smirked and poked her head out of the shower to see James sitting in a chair beside the sink. He'd insisted on sitting in on her shower if she wouldn't let him shower _with_ her. He'd made up to her for hours and when she'd gotten up, he'd grabbed a hold of her wrist, pulling her down on the bed with him again. She'd pleaded for him to let her go shower _alone_ and he'd obliged her request but halfway through washing herself, she'd heard the door creak open and then shut. She refused him when he'd tried to step in beside her so he had taken a seat beside the sink. _

"_Impatient, are we?" She raised an eyebrow. _

"_Only when I need to shower, too." _

"_Is _that_ why you're in here?" Lily stepped out of the shower after turning the water off. Hours and hours of being naked with James still didn't keep the redhead from blushing head to toe. While he sat there in jeans and nothing else on, walking around, strutting his stuff, she still needed to have _something_ on._

_His gaze traveled over her naked form and his eyes darkened from their usual light hazel color. "Mmhmm."_

_She motioned to the empty shower. "It's all yours."_

_She watched him stare at her a moment longer before he stood up to his full height, towering over her. For a moment, she thought that he would reach out to her but when his fingers worked the belt of his jeans, she sighed a breath of relief. She wanted to be clean for at _least_ ten minutes. Her eyes lowered when his jeans hit the floor and he stepped out of them. She could feel him watching her and she bit her lower lip, her gaze slowly traveling up the beautifully sculptured form that was his male body. _

"_Like what you see?" _

_Her eyes quickly locked with his and she noticed the beginnings of a proud smile tugging at his lips. He was enjoying making her squirm! He seemed to get a thrill that he could make someone with as much experience as she had shift uncomfortably under his gaze. Ooh, he _was_ something else, wasn't he? _

_In one forward motion, he stood behind her and shifted both of them so that they faced the mirror above the bathroom sink. She saw the playful glint in his eyes and she gave her own teasing smile. If he wanted to play _that_ sort of game, she was down. "I think it's quite obvious that I like what I see."_

_He smiled at her, fully, in the mirror. _

_She bit her lip again and looked down. _

"_Hey," He playfully pinched her naked hip. "Look up."_

_She was reluctant to do so and it made him curious. _

"_What's wrong?" His voice showed his concern and had she looked up, she would see the frown marring his handsome features. "Why won't you look in the mirror?"_

_It took many seconds before Lily was able to answer him. "I just—I haven't exactly, um, looked at myself—in a pretty long time, you know? It's just not something I like to do." She shook her head and looked up, but kept her eyes from looking at him. _

"_Why not?" His hands fell from her hips to his sides. _

_She licked her lips nervously and the shame that she'd felt and lived with all of these years rose to the surface. Everything that she was ashamed of, everything that she was insecure of lay in her reflection in the mirror and she'd avoided it for so long that she'd become like an artist in shame, turning her paintings over so she didn't have to look at a single one. _

"_Lily," James's soft voice whispered against her ear, "You're beautiful. Do you know that?"_

_Tears stung at her eyes and she shook her head, shifting on her feet. _

"_You are." James's hand came up to touch her cheek and then he tried to shift her face up to the mirror but she wouldn't budge. "C'mon, don't you see yourself?"_

"_No, because I'm not." Lily shook her head and took a shuddering deep breath. _

"_Says who?" He sounded upset now, irritated. _

"_Everybody." She could hear his teeth clenching and unclenching. "It doesn't matter. You don't have to make me feel better. I get it, okay? I'm not---"_

_Suddenly, he grabbed a hold of her hand and yanked her out of the bathroom. She gasped at the colder air in the hallway and in the living room. She was acutely aware that she and James was buck naked, walking swiftly through the apartment. Or rather, James was dragging her in the direction of his bedroom. _

_Once in the bedroom, he let her go and turned to his burrow. He cleared the junk off of the surface and she frowned, realizing that he was clearing room so that they could see the vanity mirror on his burrow. She hugged herself, still a little self-conscious that she was standing naked in his bedroom while his obvious arousal was up and about. She tried to keep from staring and eventually averted her eyes to the floor. _

_He walked past her and sat down on the edge of his bed, yanking her down so that she sat awkwardly on top of him, straddling the back of her thighs with the front of his. She gasped, a wave of arousal hitting her as she felt the evidence of his poking at her heated center. His sitting stance widened, causing her legs to open. _

"_Look in the mirror, Lily." His voice sounded harsh, aroused, and hard all at once. _

_What was the big—dear _God

She quickly averted her eyes from the explicit sight but he nipped at her shoulder. She let out a low moan and obliged his request. Taking a deep breath, she allowed her gaze to fall on the sight that would've had preachers blushing. The sight of Lily sprawled out across James's lap and the sight of her so open and ready was… erotic and it only fueled her arousal.

"_Do you see this? You? Us?" As he talked, his hands wrapped around her body and his fingers began to walk a trail up her thighs and into her dark curls. "This is beautiful. Jeez, _you're_ beautiful_. _What we have, what we do, when I touch you like this…" She let out another moan, though this one was louder because he began to stroke her, "The way you blush literally from head to toe, your thighs quivering against mine… how can you not see how irresistible you are? What you do to me…"_

_The feeling, the sight, it was too intimate. Lily couldn't have said a word, even if she wanted to. She was so intrigued, enthralled by the sight of their actions being reflected back in the mirror. They looked… good together. Her hands covered his as he did what he will to her and her dark red hair spread across his chest as she rolled her head about, his name coming in whispers off of her slightly parted lips. _

"_Say it, Lil…" He whispered in her ear and nibbled on her earlobe before pulling back. _

"_S-s-say what?" Lily moaned, grinding her ass against his erection. _

"_Say this is beautiful."_

_She swallowed and took a deep breath. _

"This—this is… beautiful."

…

"—And then you know, um, we talked out our differences and we're fine. The end." Bella finished, playing with her hands as Remus stared up at her from her dorm room bed. He didn't say anything at first and she shifted on her feet. "Okay, can you _stop_ with the third degree?"

Remus cracked a smile. "I'm sorry. I'm just finding it incredibility… _rare_ that the _queen_ of grudges, no less, actually sucked up her pride and went _shopping_ with a girl she considered less than… I don't know, _everyone_, and actually came out learning something." His blue-grey eyes sparkled a little. "I'm proud of you."

Bella smiled slowly. "Yeah?"

Remus nodded.

A groan from the other bed distracted their shared smile and they both looked over at Sirius who lay on Bella's roommate's bed, face down.

"It couldn't have been that bad, Padfoot." Remus reasoned.

Sirius sat up and rubbed his head. His hair was in disarray. "Ooh, it was _bad_."

"How could it have been bad?" Bella frowned, coming to sit on the edge of the bed next to Remus. "You said he didn't say anything."

"Yeah, well, if he _had_ said something, it would've at least eased this guilt that I can't seem to get rid of. You know, I'd have something to work with, or off. But this silence is bloody _deafening_…" Sirius huffed and folded his arms, staring at the floor.

"I, for one," Bella started with a smile, "am happy he had nothing to say about it yet. Too much drama too soon, if you know what I mean."

Remus looked thoughtful. "Yeah, he'll come around, Sirius. Don't worry."

Sirius sent Remus a dark look. "Oh, I'm worrying, Moony. I am shivering as we speak."

Bella smiled and leaned over, ruffling Sirius's already messy hair. "It's not as bad as it could be."

"Hey, you're right," Sirius said with sarcasm and false excitement dripping from his voice. "He could've like, you know, chased me down the street with the basketball and beat me senseless." He slouched on the bed again. "I should've let him beat me at twenty-one."

"You know, maybe he's just really nervous about tonight." Remus said, shrugging. "He's got his first official date with Lily."

"Yeah, and she used to be _very_ appealing." Sirius said, that same sarcasm present.

"Actually," Bella started, "I spent an entire morning with her and---"

The phone ringing interrupted Bella's statement and Remus leaned over and put the receiver to his ear. "Hello?"

Bella ignored Remus on the phone as she leaned over and poked Sirius in the thigh.

He gave her a dark look. "I'm not in the mood, _sister_."

She frowned, giving him a strange look. "Word to the wise… don't use that word."

Sirius opened his mouth to say something but Remus putting the receiver back on the stand caused Bella to glance away from him. He glared at her but focused his attention on Remus who was now standing and grabbing his coat. "What's wrong, mate?"

"That was the Auror Headquarters---"

Sirius's eyebrows rose in confusion. "The bloody _who_?"

Bella glanced at him in irritation. "The people investigating my mother's drive-by incident." She looked up at Remus who already had his coat on. "What did they want?"

"Apparently, someone contacted them last night saying they had a bunch of information that would help move the case along. Detective Moody has requested that we meet him at the Headquarters so that he can fill us in right away." Remus nodded to the receiver. "Someone want to phone James?"

Sirius stood up quickly, heading for door. "Not it! Not it!"

Bella stood up as well, following Sirius and patting Remus on the chest. "Yeah, well, I saw him already this morning."

Remus stood in the empty dorm room and shook his head, muttering under his breath, _"Children."_

…

"Here, here…" 

She'd never heard this voice before.

"Have a drink of this… it'll make you feel better."

Lily's eyes opened slowly and she rubbed the back of her head against the headache that had begun. The first thing she saw when she was finally able to focus was a flask waving in front of her face. She frowned at it and then her gaze traveled up from the hand that held the black container to the strange face hovering above her, narrowing his hard eyes.

"Wha—where am I? What happened?" Lily sat up and noticed that she and this mysterious man (who looked more like a cop) were in the backseat of a van or SUV of some type.

"I'm Detective Moody---"

"Detective?" Lily narrowed her eyes and held her palm to her forehead to put pressure on her headache. 

"Yes and in about a couple of seconds, you'll remember what happened and I assure you that I mean no harm---" Moody barely got out the last few words before Lily swung back and clutched her head.

Images of earlier that day felt like it was swishing their way into Lily's brain and they only added to the headache that was building. She remembered shopping with Bella earlier on in the morning, being dropped off at James's apartment, and then heading off to work. The details got a little fuzzy but she remembered being happy about—about _something_. Something about _James_, no less.

"Where _exactly_—am I?" Lily fixed her gaze on the horrible looking man seated a couple inches away from her.

"You're in my business vehicle. I'm a Private Investigator---"

_Oh yes, she remembered now._ Anger rose quickly in the redhead's gut and she clenched her fists, keeping herself from flailing about and kicking the _Private Investigator_ where the sun don't shine. "And do you make it a habit to kidnap civilians?"

She remembered talking to her coworkers about the date she was to have that night with James. They'd noticed the happiness and excitement in Lily as her shift neared to an end. She remembered taking the black cocktail dress she'd bought while out shopping with Bella and changing in the bathrooms. One of her female coworkers had helped her out with her makeup and jewelry. She'd stared in the mirror, pleased with herself and the way that she'd cleaned up. Her coworker had left Lily to do her own hair and the redhead had fixed up something simple but elegant. She'd been walking outside and had almost made it to the street when she'd heard footsteps behind her.

"You won't feel a thing."

She'd remembered feeling light-headed and just before she completely blacked out, she heard a soft voice in her ear whisper, _"It's only for a little while."_

"Listen, you have to understand---"

Lily shook her head and pointed to Detective Moody. "_No_! You kidnapped me, you freak! And you used some _knocky-outty_ crap that I could get your badge taken away for having used on me!"

Moody stared at Lily calmly. "It was perfectly legal---"

"Oh, was it, now?" Her voice became unnaturally high as she lifted her chin at him. "Do this often, do you?"

"If you will just shut your yapper---" He seemed to be losing his patience.

"Ooh, you—you---" She struggled to find the right words. She always ended up in these positions. However, this time, she couldn't just punch the daylights out of this one. In the end, she knew she'd have to _cooperate_.

"—I will explain to you everything." Moody finished and Lily closed her mouth. When he was sure that she would not interrupt him, he began. "It's very important that you listen to me. _Listen._"

She gave him a dirty look and sat back heavily in her seat. "I haven't opened my _yapper_ yet, have I?"

Moody narrowed his gaze at her. "Have I seen you somewhere before?"

"I don't know," She flipped her hair behind her shoulder and looked at him dryly, "Have you kidnapped someone that looks like me before?"

"Someone contacted me last night. Are you familiar with people called the Potters?" Lily gave a brief nod but showed no facial emotions. "Well, people of your sort would be familiar with the Potters." Lily narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to speak but Moody continued, "A couple of months ago, someone tried to have at it at one of the Potters, the nicest one if you ask me, and I've been conducting this investigation---"

"You're doing swell by the way," Lily interrupted. "What does all of this have to do with me?"

Moody swallowed. "The informant requested your presence tonight. In fact, said he wouldn't give me any information if you _weren't_ here." He tilted his head, his gaze sweeping over Lily curiously. "I'm a bit anxious to solve this case, as you can tell. We're meeting him in South Central at a secure location. You do as I say, you'll be fine."

Lily rolled her eyes and shifted so that her body was facing forward. She glanced out of the window and muttered under her breath, "I wonder why everything creepy happens to me."

I wonder if James will be able to forgive me for missing our first date.

…

James couldn't help the slow smile creeping over his face.

He was going to be going on his first official date with Lily and he couldn't have been more excited, more nervous than he was at that moment. He did his tie the way his dad had taught him all those years ago and glanced at the clock. It was already five past eight and Lily still hadn't shown up. She was supposed to be meeting him at eight from her work, dressed and ready to go. They then would share a romantic dinner date with candles and fine foods. He'd take her back to the apartment and they would conclude their first date with the way they first _really_ got to know each other.

Pulling on his jacket, James glanced at the clock again. He wondered if it was just five minutes behind. What if Lily got held up with bussing tables or her manager wanted her to work another hour and she hadn't been able to get to the phone to fill him in on the update? What if something worse had happened? What if--?

The phone ringing interrupted James's thoughts and he sighed, reaching over to pick the receiver up from his dresser.

"Hello?"

…

Lily caught the jacket before it hit her face.

She looked down at it with distaste. "What is this for?"

"Put it on," Moody ordered shortly and closed his car door. "I don't want a rape case on my hands."

She clenched her jaw and wanted nothing more than to whip the arrogant, old, ugly man with his own jacket but instead obliged his order. She shivered as she felt the stiff material cover her form. Once everything fell over her outfit, she looked at Moody expectantly and sighed when she saw him take out his gun.

"Stay behind me. Don't do anything that might get us killed."

"Really?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm as the words slipped off of her tongue with ease. "Because I was thinking about the best way I could do that, you know. Just get right out there and make it _easy_ for them."

Moody glared at her as they ascended the steps to the second floor. He didn't reply, though, and Lily was grateful. He'd ruined her night and had probably ruined the best chance she had at actually having a normal life in a normal relationship with a normal boyfriend. Normalcy was _not_ overrated and she _did_ want it badly and she _would_ make Moody suffer, dammit!

"There you are."

The voice startled both of them and they turned suddenly to see a dark figure in the shadows of the parking garage, leaning against the column casually. Lily narrowed her eyes and tried to make out the details of the figure's face but she didn't need to for long. The man stepped forward into the florescent light of the garage and they both discovered that he wore a dark mask to cover his face.

"And you brought Lily Evans." The figure nodded to Lily who took one step back behind Moody. "Guess cops are really smarter than I give them credit for, huh?"

Lily swallowed past the fear forming in her throat.

_Ooh, boy…_

…

"—So now Moody is there getting information, that his men assure us will be very valuable."

James took in all of the information that Remus had just put out there. His gaze traveled over to his sister and Sirius who sat relatively close to one another on the guest couches in the lobby of the Auror Headquarters. Having little patience to deal with his feelings on _that_ matter, he decided to continue with the business conversation.

"What about that man—Severus Snape—we brought in a while back? Didn't they get anything out of him?" James raised an eyebrow, his eyes falling on Sirius who quickly looked away.

Bella shook her head. "Moody said he had no jurisdiction in holding a man without enough evidence to convict. He had to let him go."

"Wow, okay," James swallowed and glanced away from his friends, "Sounds like the perfect way to end the night." He looked at them again and said softly, "Lily didn't show up for our date tonight."

"Well, she wouldn't have, mate," Sirius said quietly but loud enough for everyone to hear. He looked James in the eye for the first time that night, "She's with Moody at the meeting place."

Bella smacked Sirius upside the head and he looked at her questioningly before they were startled by James's outburst.

"What!"

…

"Look, can't you tell us a little bit more?"

The informant shook his head. "I tell you any more and they'll know you got something from the inside. Do your research old man. Figure it out."

Lily watched the exchange between Moody and the mysterious informant. Something about him, about the quality of his voice had her intrigued, captivated her somehow. Like she'd been sent back in time and was seeing someone she hadn't seen since she was a child speak to her as an adult. It was a surreal thing and when the informant finally gazed at her, she shivered.

"You're more beautiful than I remember you being."

Lily tilted her head, gazing at the blue eyes behind the mask in wonder. Where had she been around this man before? She definitely recognized the costume but there was a recognition somewhere deep inside of her that couldn't connect the voice, the feelings with the outfit. Something must've been altered, something must've shifted. Lily opened her mouth to say something, _anything_ but when her voice was at the point where it could finally be heard, louder sounds echoed throughout the garage building.

"Shit, they know we're here." Moody cursed under his breath. He reached out and grabbed Lily's hand. "Time to go, sweetheart."

Lily felt her legs wobbling as Moody tugged them down the stairs. She took one last glance back at the place where the informant had stood before them and said in a rushed voice, "What about the informant?"

"To be completely honest, Miss Evans," Moody grit his teeth as they reached the ground level and he continued to yank her along, "I'm _less_ concerned about _his_ safety than I am about _ours_."

…

"She WHAT!"

"Okay, you see, um, this—this isn't helping _anyone_."

"I don't _care_!" James glared at his younger sister.

"James, she's right. Storming about isn't going to---"

James turned on Remus who closed his mouth immediately upon receiving his best friend's dark look.

"No, this is exactly what you shouldn't be doing, James. She's with Detective Moody, okay? Remember? He's like… the best P.I on the west coast. He's not going to let anything happen to her." Bella tried to calm her older brother down as she watched his shoulders heave up and down with the force of his breathing.

"Even though he did technically kidnap Evans," Sirius muttered under his breath.

Bella and Remus turned to glare at the man sitting on the couch.

"No, you guys don't understand." James said, returning the attention back to him. He spoke quietly but firmly. "She's my girlfriend, now, okay? She's—Lily Evans is with _me_. And as long as she's _my_ girlfriend, I won't let her take any more---"

…

"Shit."

Moody looked at the redhead in surprise. "What—what happened?"

She glared at him before she leaned down and pulled off her expensive shoes. "I broke my heel."

"Typical." He rolled his eyes. "I thought it might've been something _important_."

"_For your information_, you interrupted me just before a _date_."

Moody rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, it's for the best now, isn't it?"

Lily didn't respond but leaned back with a sigh.

"You're doing the Potters a good thing."

She suddenly remembered the informant and turned her head to look at Moody. "I wonder who the informant was."

Moody let out a deep breath. "I wonder what the hell we got ourselves into."

She fixed him with a dark look, folding her arms across her chest. "What _you_ got us into."

Moody glared at her. "Yes, thank you for that."

She smiled sweetly at him. "Just trying to do a good thing."

He smiled back at her just as sweetly. "And you're doing a lovely job at _that_."

It was her turn to glare but he just ignored her and turned in his seat to look out of the window. She clenched her jaw tightly before doing the same. After a couple more seconds of silence, she gave an indignant sigh and couldn't resist.

"_You_ spoiled _my_ night."

…

The gang was all there when Lily and Moody walked through the front doors. Anxiously, James and Remus stood up to face the newcomers.

Sirius pointed to the redhead and said, "Hey, there's your…"

His voice drifted off as James walked the length of the lobby to embrace Lily in a big hug. Her arms went around his neck and they held like that for a few seconds before she pulled back. Just as she was about to step away from him, he leaned down and captured her lips with his in a passionate kiss that would've made _anyone_ blush.

"Guess I, uh, guess I'm going to have to get used to that." Sirius muttered uncomfortably.

Bella and Remus nodded their heads in agreement as the couple parted. In all of their time in knowing James, they'd never seen James display that level of affection with any one of his girlfriends before. It _was_ going to take some getting used to but to be honest; it seemed more natural with them than anyone.

Moody frowned at the couple. "Wait, how do you two know each other?"

Sirius grinned suddenly. "Mate, I think it's pretty obvious how they---" Bella smacked him upside the head and he glared at her. "_Owe_."

Moody shook his head, looking at Lily questioningly. "How come you didn't say anything?"

Lily smiled sweetly at Moody, leaning against the hard surface of her _boyfriend's_ chest. "Must've been somewhere between being kidnapped and shot at that made me _forget_ to share."

Moody smiled back. "Sweetheart---"

"Lily was with Mrs. Potter when the drive-by incident occurred." Remus said, interrupting any smart-ass comment the older man would've cracked. "She was the one you tried looking for but had no luck in finding."

Moody pointed at Lily, recognition settling in his features. "I knew I remembered you from somewhere."

"I still say you must've kidnapped someone that looked like me before."

"Okay, okay," James tightened his hold around Lily's waist and looked at the detective. "Let's presume you kidnapped Lily for the _right_ reasons. What valuable information did this informant have for us?"

That seemed to suck the air out of the room as Moody shifted on his feet and then looked at James square in the face. "Do you crew remember us bringing a lad in by the name of Severus Snape?" The group nodded and Lily twitched slightly. James looked down at her questioningly but she only smiled shakily up at him before fixing her attention back on Moody. "And how you all were so sure that Snape worked for Malfoy."

"What? That's not true? That's the big news?" James asked, letting Lily go as he frowned in confusion. "C'mon, there's got to be something bigger than that. That's why we let him go, right? We already knew that."

"Yeah, well," Moody swallowed gravely, "I'm afraid it's bigger than that."

Bella looked confused. "Well, what could be worse?"

"Snape doesn't work for Malfoy. In fact, Snape _and_ Malfoy work under a feared, terror group."

"Huh?" James and Sirius said at once. They looked at each other awkwardly before James shook his head. "What's the big deal?"

"James, it _is_ a big deal." Lily whispered, turning to James.

"What's the name of it?" Remus asked, looking between Lily and Moody.

"Death Eaters." Lily said, her voice quivering a little.

"The name of the gang is called the Death Eaters."

…

**A/N:** And… what did you guys think? Like it? Didn't like it? Let me know with words written in reviews, please. Thank you.


	16. About Death Eaters and Acceptance

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Death Eaters and Acceptance

**Chapter Began:** Wednesday, July 11, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Friday, July 13, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Friday, July 13, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Warning:** _Very_ mature. You've been warned.

**Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews!

**Chapter Fifteen: About Death Eaters and Acceptance**

_Recap:_

"_So, is this you asking if we have a thing?"_

"_No," Lily surprised him and his smile wore off, "This is me asking if we have a _relationship_."_

…

"_What I was going to say was that as long as you don't expect me to remember dates and to be amazing at this whole boyfriend thing 'cause I wasn't with Shauna, and I'm not ever, then I do want a relationship with you."_

…

"_I'm asking you to just let it alone. See what happens and if there's blood and gory and heartbreak involved, the both of them will be better for _themselves_ in the long run."_

"_If it makes you feel better, I'll go down to James's apartment and make with the friendly with Evans so there'll be no hard feelings."_

…

_Bella rolled down her window and said with a bit of humor in her voice, "Are you all set now?"_

_Lily bit her lower lip. "I guess."_

"_Don't worry about James. We were just having a bit of fun. Have fun on your date tonight."_

…

"_James, wait up!"_

_The other man turned and watched as Sirius ran to catch up with him. _

"_There's something I need to be honest with you about."_

_James shrugged. "What is it?"_

…

"_It couldn't have been that bad, Padfoot." Remus reasoned. _

"_Yeah, well, if he had said something, it would've at least eased this guilt I can't seem to get rid of. This silence is bloody deafening…"_

…

_"Detective Moody, right? With the Auror Headquarters? I have some information that will definitely be of interest to you. It circulates around the Potter case and with my help; you'll be able to close it a lot faster than you would be able to without my help. So, this is how it's going to work: Tomorrow night, eight o'clock, Juan Lot in South Central. I'll give you a ten-minute window assuming there's traffic. No spots will be needed, only a driver. The only condition I'll be strict about is your obedience in bringing a redhead by the name of Lily Evans with you. You do everything I ask and you close your case. Understand?"_

…

"_Where exactly—am I?" Lily fixed her gaze on the horrible looking man seated a couple inches away from her. _

"_Listen, you have to understand---"_

_Lily shook her head and pointed to Detective Moody. "No! You kidnapped me, you freak!"_

"_I've been conducting this investigation---"_

_Lily interrupted. "What does all of this have to do with me?"_

"_The informant requested your presence tonight."_

…

"_There you are. And you brought Lily Evans." The informant nodded to Lily who took a step behind Moody. _

…

_James walked the length of the lobby to embrace Lily in a big hug. Her arms went around his neck and just as she was about to step away from him, he leaned down and captured her lips. _

"_Guess I'm going to have to get used to that." Sirius muttered uncomfortably. _

…

"_What valuable information did this informant have for us?"_

_Moody shifted on his feet. "Do you crew remember us bringing in a lad by the name of Severus Snape? And how you all were so sure that Snape worked for Malfoy? Yeah, well, I'm afraid it's bigger than that. Snape doesn't work for Malfoy. In fact, Snape and Malfoy work under a terror group."_

"_What's the name of it?" Remus asked. _

"_The name of the gang is called the Death Eaters."_

…

The sentence hung in the air and the group remained silent.

Sirius was the first to crack. "Wow, what a—a um, _creative_ name. Makes _me_ all shivery inside." He looked at Bella with a smirk. "What about you?"

Bella frowned at him as though he had grown two heads and his smirk wore off.

James narrowed his eyes, confused, looking between Moody and Lily. "I still don't get it."

"James," Lily started softly, "The Death Eaters are what's behind most of what goes wrong in the city."

"She's right." Moody ran a hand through his hair. "The rich kingpins, the illegal raves, counterfeit money---"

"—The Backroom, the Pit." Lily finished off for Moody. "Everything comes back to the Death Eaters."

"Do you lot remember the man on the news a few years back?" The group looked at Moody blankly, waiting for him to elaborate. "How his left eye had been _gouged_ out of his socket and they'd found him whining on the floor of his bedroom, apologizing over and over again?"

Sirius pointed to Moody in recognition. "Oh yeah. They had that story on for, like, a _week_. Trying to figure out who was behind such a---"

James frowned, looking at his best friend. "You watch the news?"

Sirius closed his mouth and glared rightfully at James.

"Oh, we _knew_ who was behind it." Moody said, dryly, shaking his head. "I spent most of that _week_ down at the station just trying to convince them we needed to alert the people."

"Why didn't they?" Remus asked, narrowing his eyes. "I mean, that seems pretty horrific---"

"Same reason nobody wanted to spill about that Harrison case a year ago." Lily pointed out, feeling a bit sick to her stomach. No matter what she did to try to get away from any of that stuff, it always seemed to come back. This time, though, she could sense they were dealing with the real thing. "The whole family found bound, tortured and killed with their skin cut into."

"_Ew_, the whole snake coming out of the skull thing?" Bella frowned. "_That_ was them?"

Moody nodded. "The Death Eaters are responsible for many of the unexplained, unsolved cases in the city. Dating all the way back to the late 1970s."

"Why hasn't anyone stopped them?" Remus asked, folding his arms.

"Well," Moody took a seat on the single couch. "The Death Eaters are a bit like the Ku Klux Klan. A secret organization, a _society_ if you will, that goes around terrorizing people. They choose a specific group, or a kind of people, and they---"

"If you know about this, how come you haven't stopped them?" James asked, his voice rising with his anger. This was completely useless. They should be out there, finding out information and gathering these Death Eaters to kick them in the asses. "I mean, you said yourself, the police knew who was behind all of these attacks. You could---"

"James, it's not as simple as---"

Bella interrupted Lily. "No, my brother's right." She looked at Moody. "What can we do? How do we find these assholes who shot at my mother?"

"You guys are completely missing the point." Moody folded his hands and tried to remain calm. He hated when civilians tried to go all righteous on him. "They're a _secret_ society in the guise of real gangs. We don't know the real identities of---"

"Malfoy!" Sirius said suddenly. Everyone looked at him. "There's one identity you know. Lock _him_ up."

Moody started to shake his head but James interrupted him. "Yeah, why not? You wouldn't have told us if he---"

Lily shook her own head. "He's too protected."

"Is he now?" Sirius tilted his head and fixed his gaze on the redhead. "Or are _you_ still protecting him?"

"Sirius---"

"Padfoot---"

"No, I mean… you're suddenly this changed new woman---"

James clenched his jaw. "Sirius…"

"—How do we know you're not playing both sides?" Sirius challenged, narrowing his eyes.

Lily swallowed and met Sirius's gaze. "I'm not."

"But how do we know that?"

Remus put a hand on Sirius's shoulder. "Sirius, don't---"

"No." Sirius shook his head. "You all are so quick to accept Lily into the group. She's the one who's spent the most time with our favorite—what was it?—Death Eater? C'mon, Lilikins---"

"Okay, that's enough." James said, his eyes cold on Sirius. The other man clenched his jaw, his dark gaze never wavering from Lily's. James's eyes swiveled immediately to Moody who had been watching the exchange with mild curiosity. Unconsciously, James put his hand protectively on Lily's shoulder and she looked up at him. "I don't want him harassing you as much you don't want him doing it but if there's anything you can tell us—anything at all—please."

Lily shook her head, fear knotting in her belly. "I-I don't---"

"Another name?" Bella asked, careful to keep her voice gentle.

Lily shrugged. "He used to mention this um… this man."

Sirius looked at the redhead dryly. "Well, _there_ you go. We'll Google 'this man' and that should clear things up _right_ away."

Remus and Bella shot Sirius a reproachful glare before turning back to Lily.

"Riddle." Lily said suddenly. "There was a—a Tom Riddle."

Moody sat up suddenly, shocked by her knowledge of that name. "You know of him?"

Lily's gaze found the older man's and she nodded briefly.

"Who is he?" Remus asked.

"Well, he's the bastard who started the so-called terror group. The leader of the pack."

One of Bella's eyebrows rose. "And the police know of him too?"

Moody seemed to consider this. "Well, they know _of_ him. There are rumors—if you will—of his… _presence_ in the city. It's said that only his people have seen him. There are no records of his family, or anything that would've helped led us to his actual whereabouts."

"Wait," Remus stood up straighter. "You just said he was the leader of the Death Eaters. You find a Death Eater, you find him."

Moody nodded briefly. "That's the belief."

"It's not a belief, Detective," James said, an idea forming in his head, "It's fact. What if---?"

Moody stood up suddenly, surprising the group. "_No, no, no_. This is a matter that the Headquarters need to handle. We were contacted, by who we believe to be a person in hiding with the Death Eaters, and were given information. I called you all here tonight so that you may be updated but it goes no further than this."

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "What is that supposed to mean _exactly_?"

"It means you lot are in no way, shape, or form involved in this case. Leave it to the officials to handle it from here. You all are civilians---"

Bella folded her arms. "That was kind of shot to hell when you kidnapped a civilian and brought her with you on an assignment, don't you think?"

That made Moody pause for a second but he soon found his voice. "That was a _necessity_. I---"

"He knows now." Lily said suddenly, looking at Moody with determined eyes.

Moody frowned, narrowing his eyes at the small woman in Potter's arms. "What?"

"He knows because you got me involved now." Lily stepped out of James's arms, more confident in her next carefully chosen words. "You can't just bring me on a case where the informant knows my name and my face and then send me off into the world without any protection."

"He already knew your name, sweetheart." Moody said, his lips curling over the words.

James frowned then, looking down at Lily in concern. "He what?"

Lily shook her head. "Never---"

"Look, you already have us involved." Bella said, gaining the attention of the group now. "I mean, it's either you let us in on your plan, if you _have_ one, or we go home and research ourselves. Only now, Lily's right and we could be attacked at any moment because of your thoughtlessness---"

"Bella…" Remus put a hand on Bella but she shook her head.

"No. I think the only thing left for the nice Detective to do now is to let us in. To let us help."

Moody looked at the younger people standing around him. His eyes swept over Potter and his girlfriend. The girl knew more than she led on, he was sure of it. If what Black had said was true, she may actually be their only way in. He had no idea, at the beginning, that they'd been dealing with the Death Eaters and now… this case may be his only shot at shutting down Tom Riddle, the man he'd been playing cat and mouse with for years now. Was he willing to let the small redhead girl go?

He reached into his overcoat and pulled out his flask. Popping the cover off, he brought the flask to his lips in a quick motion, closing his eyes against the five pairs of eyes staring intently at him. He tried to come up with reasons for why they should not be involved in this case. There were many but the few that reasoned against him not turning them away were just so—so _technical_. Moody had never been about _technical_. He'd always bent the rules to his liking and he'd turned out just fine, even solved cases other detectives couldn't because of crafty way of looking at situations.

"What do you lot see yourselves contributing to this case?" Moody asked carefully.

The group looked startled all at once and he had to keep himself from grinning at their speechless faces. They seemed to look at each other, questioning if they should answer and if they should, who would be the spokesperson. Potter seemed to take on the initiative and looked straight into Moody's eyes.

"Whatever we're allowed."

Moody nodded slowly. "Research…" His eyes found Lily's. "The informant seemed to think we needed to gather all the information we could get. Right?"

Lily nodded.

"Good, then. That'll be our first task."

…

James sat at the front desk in the lobby, typing in a few keywords in the search bar on the computer. Every so often, he found a name or a number that would match up with the priorities on Moody's checklist that he'd printed out for the group and write down on the notebook next to the mouse pad. They'd been researching separately at the Headquarters for over an hour now and James's head had started to spin.

Deciding to take a break, he dropped the pen and buried his head into the palms of his hands. This was definitely _not_ how he'd wanted to spend his and Lily's first official night as a couple. He'd planned on having the romantic night to show her, although he'd claimed that he wasn't romantic all of the time that he could be thoughtful on the days and nights that counted. Seeing her hesitations and insecurities about her beauty gave him the idea and he'd thought it a brilliant one until everything went utterly wrong.

His eyes gazed across the lobby to where Lily and Bella sat, using the same computer and talking in hushed voices. He wondered about that, wondered when Bella had sucked up her bratty attitude and decided that Lily wasn't so bad after all. It didn't bother him; in fact, he was proud that his sister was accepting Lily as part of the group. He quickly looked down when the two girls glanced behind them and their gazes settled on him.

"Prongs,"

James jumped, surprised to hear his nickname being called so close behind him. He turned his chair to see Sirius coming to stand a few feet away from him, digging his hands in his jean pockets. He would've been happy to see one of his best friends after an hour of seclusion had it not been for the fact that he remembered that he was now not speaking to him. He merely grunted before looking down at the floor.

"How's your stuff coming along?" Sirius tried for conversation.

James nodded, not really wishing to answer.

"Yeah, well, Remus and I aren't doing any better." Sirius leaned against the counter, trying to be casual.

James suddenly looked up, his eyes hard and defensive. "Who said I wasn't finding anything?"

Sirius looked surprised but after a couple of seconds shrugged. "I just thought---"

"What are you doing over here, Sirius?" He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Bella was standing up from her spot next to Lily and making her way over to the front desk. Lily followed after her.

Sirius looked out of place as he straightened. "I don't know, mate. I was just thinking you've been over here by yourself---"

"I was fine until you came over." He knew he was being completely unreasonable but a best friend doesn't just all of a sudden date his best friend's younger sister. That just doesn't happen and he was feeling a bit hostile and he needed space.

"What's going on?" Bella asked casually, meeting up with them.

Sirius motioned to James, a bit upset now from the last comment. "Your brother is going completely _mad_ on me."

"Wha—why?" Bella looked between the two men, confused.

James glared at his best friend. "_I'm_ going mad? _Me_?"

"Yeah." Sirius made a twirl of his fingers as a way to demonstrate. "You might need some sort of medication to _calm_ yourself."

James stood up, getting right in Sirius's space. "I wouldn't say too much if I were you, _Padfoot_. You might just find yourself without a place to go for Thanksgiving---"

Sirius's eyes widened, offended. "You wouldn't…"

James nodded. "I would."

"James---" Bella started, walking over to the other side of the desk.

James shook his head. "Bella, stay out of it."

"Look, mate, I was honest with you---" Sirius started but James interrupted him.

"A bit late for that. How long had you been with her before the guilt started to get to you?"

"That's not important." Sirius gritted his teeth. "What's important is that I eventually told you. Unlike _someone_ who had to have his sister walk in on him for him to actually be honest with his best mates about who he's been shagging---"

"She wasn't _your_ baby sister."

Sirius scoffed. "And thank heavens for _that_---"

James shoved Sirius at that point. "Keep talking. See where it leaves you."

"Guys…" Lily said, inching closer on the other side of the desk.

"Have you always backstabbed your best friend with his baby sister or is this just something new?"

Sirius smiled sarcastically, stepping closer. "I don't know, mate. Have you always wanted to shag Evans and it was always just a front or is _that_ something new?"

James's eyes flashed murderously but just before he raised his hands to shove Sirius again, Bella reached them and stepped between them.

"Bella, I said stay out of this." James glared at his younger sister.

She shook her head, her gaze cold on him. "No. You're not handling this whole relationship between Sirius and I very well. I get that, okay? But this—this has got to _stop_. You two are acting like little kids…" She turned her gaze on Sirius. "And it's not very attractive."

Lily's green eyes bore into James. "I second that."

"You guys are just going to have to deal with each of your new situations---"

"Yeah, mate. _Honestly_." Sirius smirked at James.

Bella immediately turned to glare at her boyfriend. "That means you too."

He frowned at her. "What?"

"All of these smartass comments about Lily or the fact that James is with her need to stop. Or you really are going to find yourself without Thanksgiving _and_ a date." Sirius seemed to shrink in size. James smirked but when his sister looked back at him with a hard look, his smirk quickly vanished. "And you, of all people, expect us to deal with your attitude toward us?"

"Bella, you're my baby sister. You can't expect me to---"

"Shut up."

He closed his mouth and the two girls shared a secret smile before Bella became serious again.

"I'm not your _baby_ sister anymore. I'm nineteen years old who happens to have a boyfriend that's _your_ best friend. I'm sorry you can't deal with it all yet but that's _all_ I'm sorry for. I didn't like _your_ choice of a girlfriend at first, and guess what? We weren't even _close_ but I took the time to get to know her _for you_. I think it's time you do the same for me _and_ Sirius."

James took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He shrugged. "I don't think I can."

He watched as Bella stepped back, as though it'd been a physical blow. Sirius lowered his eyes and bit on his lip, digging his hands deeper into his pockets. He was briefly aware of the fact that Remus had walked in and slowed to a stop when he noticed the tension. James couldn't get past the betrayal he felt at Sirius having a relationship with his younger sister.

"I don't think that's fair then." Bella said finally.

All James could do was shrug.

…

Lily found James in the outer offices of the Headquarters. It didn't look like it but the Auror Headquarters was pretty large and magnificent. The architecture was gothic, in a way, with tall ceilings and windows. Leading back out of the lobby, there was a large courtyard with a small garden and water fountain. She guessed that Moody and the other detectives needed to have comfortable surroundings to make their guests feel at home.

Her gaze fell on James's profile as she slowly made her way down the steps to where he sat on the stone bench in front of the water fountain. She felt the knots in her stomach tighten and she clenched her fists to keep from running to him and hugging him as tightly as she could. Excitement at the sight of him poured its way into her gut and she doubted she'd ever felt this happy at the mere sight of someone before. Probably never.

She took a seat beside him, only a couple inches away, silently. She watched the jaw working underneath his beautiful skin and she took the time to really assess his profile. He had a handsome one. His eyebrows were relaxed and his gaze settled on the stonework of the ground. It was then, though, that she felt a warm hand cover her own and she looked up at him with a small smile. Her fingers laced with his and he looked at her then.

"Do you think I'm being unreasonable?"

She gazed at him. "You're being as reasonable as you can given the circumstances."

He frowned. "Is that even an answer?"

She shrugged. "I don't even think that's the best way to describe this situation."

"What do you mean?"

She looked away. "It's normal to not want your best friend to be seeing your younger sister."

"That's right." He said, stubbornly. "I don't like it."

She looked at him again, really wanting at that moment to kiss away his frown. "Can you live with it?"

"No."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Bella was right about you."

"Why?" He looked indignant. "What did she say about me?"

"That you're stubborn. On the border of being thick-headed."

He glared at her. "This is supposed to be where you make me feel better."

"You're right, I'm sorry." Her smile didn't fade though. Bella might find her brother's stubbornness annoying and unbearable but so far, Lily found it adorable. "Look, all I can say is that they've somehow managed to get past this whole relationship thingy between the two of us. You know, as good as it can get right now, and they're handling it well, don't you think?" She paused. "And as far as I could tell, I was somehow a big no-no for you."

James looked away, ashamed of that fact.

She tightened her grip on his hand though and he looked back at her. "_But_ Bella, of all people in the entire world who didn't like me, sucked that all up and came over to reach out a friendly hand." She shook her head. "And it didn't turn out so bad. I actually think I might be on my way to having my first real _girl_ friend." She flashed him a bright smile. "And I'm pretty damn excited about it."

He chewed on the inside of his mouth. "What does this have to…?"

"It wouldn't have happened, James, if she hadn't made the first move to accept _this_."

She leaned in then, intent on pressing a soft kiss to his cheek but he turned suddenly and captured her lips with his. Shocked but in no way willing to miss the opportunity, Lily immediately opened her mouth to his. Their tongues slid against one another and she closed her eyes in delight at the sensation. She wanted to hold onto the feeling of James's lips pressed firmly against hers for as long as she could. But if she continued any longer, she would forget the point she was trying to make. She'd found out very early on last night that James had that sort of effect on her. She slowly pulled away and realized they were both breathless from the kiss.

"I've been wanting to do a bit more than that all night." James admitted softly.

She swallowed and could feel her stomach leaping about in her abdomen. "Me too."

His eyes found hers and locked. Heat radiated between them.

"James, I know it's hard for you to accept any sort of change---"

He shook his head, breaking their gaze. "I can accept change fine."

"—But they have." She noticed that that closed his mouth. "Give them a chance. I was nothing to them, but… he's one of your best friends."

…

"Padfoot."

Sirius and Bella turned from their sitting position at the desk to see James coming in from the courtyard.

"Come to yell at me some more, have you?" Sirius muttered.

James came to stand in front of them, folding his arms. "Actually, I've come to apologize. I shouldn't have said all that stuff about Thanksgiving. Of course you're still invited. And about the backstabbing thing…"

"It was harsh, mate." Sirius interrupted, not giving in until he thought he got a good apology.

"I apologize for that too." The other man said quickly. "You've always been there for me."

"And about the dating your sister thing?" Sirius asked, his eyebrows rising. He knew all of the Thanksgiving and backstabbing stuff was just for show and James didn't really mean much by them. It was the most important aspect of all (Bella) that he truly cared where he stood with James. He would choose not to see Bella in the end if it meant his best friend was truly unhappy.

James paused for a second and his eyes briefly met Lily's who was making her way into the lobby. He exhaled and looked between Sirius and his sister. "I'm sorry for that too. I reacted horribly and even though it'll still take me some getting used, I wouldn't be upset if you two… erm, chose to…" His voice trailed off, hoping they got the point.

"You still don't seem too happy about it." Bella said with an unsure look.

"Yeah, well, I'll just have to deal with it some more." James waved it off casually but he was really doubting his self-control and coping abilities.

"What made you change your mind so soon?" Sirius asked curious.

James smiled then, nodding his head over to Lily. "My girlfriend."

Bella smiled and nudged Sirius, standing up. "See? I told you she wasn't that bad."

The two men watched as Bella made her way over to where Lily sat.

Sirius turned to James then, standing up. "I guess she isn't after all."

James looked at the other man. "No. She's not. And neither is this um, relationship between you and my sister."

"Yeah, I'd appreciate it, mate, if you just said 'Bella'. It keeps the guilt from really settling in, you know?"

James smiled innocently. "Well, as long as it keeps doing _that_…"

Sirius grinned.

…

Lily smiled when James settled down beside her on the blanket in the living room of the apartment.

"Sorry we didn't get to do that whole romantic night out thing like we planned but at least here, we get to watch the sunrise come up over the skyscrapers." James said, leaning back on the support of his arms against the carpet.

"Mm, this is sort of romantic." Lily said, looking up at his face.

He gave her a doubtful look.

"Well, the most romantic _I've_ ever had. You've probably had better." Her eyes cast down at the thought.

Surprisingly, he shook his head. "Nope. This is it."

She looked at him, shocked. "Really? With all your money and all the places you could go with that money, sitting here on an old blanket in the middle of your living room is the best you've got? _Really_?"

He gave her a dry look. "You seem surprised."

"Well, I am!" She cried out, making him look at her strangely.

"Why does that surprise you?" He wanted to know.

She shrugged, suddenly looking very small. She glanced down at her hands and started to play with them, biting her lower lip. She seemed reluctant to answer but eventually she opened her mouth to speak. "I don't know. When I think—when I _thought_ about what rich, good-looking boys like you were doing with your nights, I always pictured the fancy candlelit dinner while you sat next to some beautiful model who…"

When she looked up, she caught him grinning ear to ear. Her voice trailed off and irritation filled her stomach. Why was he laughing at her? She picked up the nearest soft object and threw it at him. That just made him laugh out loud and she curled her knees to her chest and watched as he threw his head back and a howl of laughter escaped his mouth.

When the bouts of laughter subsided (sort of) she raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you done?"

He shrugged, smiling widely. "That's what you thought of when you thought about rich guys?"

She looked indignant, vulnerable. "Well, it's the truth, isn't it?"

He considered that. "Well, there were definitely beautiful women…"

Her eyebrows rose at him and he quickly got to the point.

"But there were hardly romantic dinner dates like the one I planned for us last night." He shook his head. "I told you. I'm not into that kind of stuff."

She shrugged her shoulders slowly. "Then why did you plan it for us?"

He shook his head. "All I know is that now, I _want_ to do those things. I don't even know _how_ to be romantic. I just know that when I'm around this—_you_ bring it out of me. And I just feel like, I don't know… showing off for you or something." He shook his head again. "It's something _I've_ never wanted to do before."

Lily felt her heart swell. Literally. And then she couldn't breathe.

"So yeah," James sat up, looking resolved. "If this is the most romantic I've ever had, then so what?"

She exhaled the breath she'd been holding. She didn't know what to say. So she looked at him as he stared out at the balcony (the doors were open so a breeze occasionally came through) and watched as he clenched his jaw. She could tell she had embarrassed him, or rather, he'd embarrassed himself with his words but they'd been said, and he couldn't take them back. She didn't want him to, either.

His words were honest and they went straight to her heart, literally taking her breath away. She'd just figured James did this sort of thing all of the time. Only right then did she realize that that romantic dinner date last night would've meant just as much to him about the start of their relationship as it would've to her. She smiled on that bit of knowledge and looked out at the balcony with him.

She bumped his shoulder with hers playfully. "This is rather romantic, now, isn't it?"

He grunted in pure male fashion. "Mmhmm."

She smirked.

_Typical._

…

**A/N: **Hey, hey, hey… a couple things to highlight about this chapter. Obviously, Voldemort is the leader of the Death Eaters, duh. I knew it was the most predictable thing that could've ever happened in this story but it had to be done and I'm sorry if anyone wanted more surprises on _that_ part of the story. I'm hoping I'll keep everyone reading this story interested till the very end even though we're in very familiar territory. The thing of it is that there will be a lot more surprises than just them (the Death Eaters, Riddle, yada yada yada) and it should still be exciting. If it's not, let me know.

At this point, bear with me, _please_. These last fourteen or so chapters is going to be pretty hard for me to write and I probably won't be able to get them out any faster than I have been. I apologize for that but there are about three main plots with a lot of little subplots floating around in my brain and doodled on the edges of yellow lined paper that I need to work out in order for this story to make any sense. I'm trying to bring a lot of different elements and genres to the table with this story to make it interesting for myself and for everyone reading, so please continue on with the level of understanding and consideration you've all shown me thus far.

Like I said, from the very beginning, it'll only get deeper and deeper. The next, I want to say, _three_ chapters will deal with the different aspects of Lily and James's relationship _specifically_ before opening up again to the overall action plot of this entire story.

So, with all of that in everyone's heads now, mind telling me what you thought about this chapter?


	17. About Banquets and Fist Fights

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Banquets and Fist Fights

**Chapter Began:** Friday, July 13, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Saturday, July 14, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Sunday, July 15, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Author's Note:** Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter! They're some of the best I've received since I've been on this site.

**Chapter Sixteen: About Banquets and Fist Fights**

"I wonder what they're talking about over there."

James and Remus paused in their moving boxes upstairs in the Galvin room to see where Sirius was looking. It was finally the night of the Annual Banquet and Annette had called on a group of volunteers to help set up. Earlier that morning, she'd called James while he was out with Lily and his friends getting breakfast and requested all of their presences to help move boxes from the main lobby to the upstairs where it wouldn't be in the way.

However, when they got there, it seemed as though the boys did all of the work and the girls stayed in a corner, whispering quietly among themselves. The guys would occasionally stop and ask for their help but the girls, upset at this morning's argument about who would get James's apartment to get ready for the banquet that night, 'nonchalantly' declined their requests. When James realized he might have a personal problem with Lily over the issue, he told a little white lie and said he'd "think it over." Ha! _As if_.

"I don't know," James said, setting his box on the shelf before turning to his best friends, shaking his head, "But like I said, I'm not giving them my apartment. It's ours tonight."

Remus looked doubtful. "That's what you've said all week and we've yet to enjoy your big screen television without them there trying to guck up our relaxing time."

"Yeah," Sirius chimed in, "Last night, they kept trying to _paint_ my toe nails. My toe nails are fine just the way they are!"

"What we're trying to say is," Remus patted Sirius on the shoulder, "Don't get pussy-whipped like Sirius here."

"Ye—_what_?" Sirius looked at Remus incredulously. "I am _not_---"

"Sure, you aren't…" James smirked, shaking his head. "What exactly was that this morning at breakfast? I thought _no one_ takes food off of Sirius Black's plate."

"What? I---"

Remus changed the pitch of his voice to imitate a girl's voice. "'Oh, Sirius, can I have some of your home fries?'"

"I was getting full." Sirius said, trying to defend himself.

James lowered his voice deeper to imitate Sirius's voice. "'Sure, sweetheart.'" He motioned like he was feeding Remus some food.

Remus closed his eyes in mock-delight. "'Mm, Sirius, that tastes _so_ good.'"

James laughed. "Jeez, I never knew you could be so ro_man_tic, Padfoot. Especially with my sister." He paused for special effect. "Remus, what's that motion again?"

Remus grinned and made the motion like Sirius was being whipped. "_Wah-psh._"

The two boys laughed and Sirius was about to say something but Lily and Bella made their way over to where the guys were standing. The redhead didn't waste any time as she jumped on James, wrapping her legs around his waist tightly and pressing herself closely against him. With a playful smile, she touched her lips to his, letting out a quiet moan from the back of her throat when she felt the tip of his tongue running along the entrance of her mouth.

Sirius frowned, trying to look around Remus. "Remus, would you mind being a dear and moving slightly to the right? I can't see a---"

Bella whacked her boyfriend on the shoulder, giving him a look.

Sirius looked at her, his eyes wide as if he was surprised to see her standing there next to him. "I'm sorry. Did I _say_ that out loud?"

James's hands slid down Lily's sides before pinching her playfully. She let out a squeal and jumped down from James, but still remained close and looked up at him hopefully.

He kept his hands on her waist as he smiled down at her. "What is this all about?"

A slow smile crept over her lips and James was struck by how innocent that look was. Especially since he had an idea that her intentions were anything _but_ innocent. "Can't a girl just be happy to see her handsome boyfriend who has an amazing apartment that she'll be able to use with his sister tonight for the…"

Her voice trailed off as James shook his head, continually, letting his hands fall from her waist.

"What? _Why_?" She looked like she was about to beg. "You said you'd think about it!"

Sirius then shook his head, waving his arms around negatively. "And he has. No girls allowed before the Banquet tonight." With a brief nod of his head, he added stubbornly, "And that's final."

Bella raised a challenging eyebrow at Sirius. "_You're_ not a part of this."

Lily looked up at James, pleading. "_Puh-leze_? Pretty, pretty, _pretty_ please. With lots of sugar and dozens of cherries on top?"

Sirius continued to shake his head, folding his arms. "Mm-mm. Nope. Don't do it, James."

The girls turned and glared at him. He just narrowed his eyes sarcastically back.

Letting out a frustrated sound, Lily turned back to James, pointing a finger. "Fine. O-okay, you know what?" She paused and he waited, motioning for her to continue. She opened her mouth and kept it open for a couple of seconds, in thought, before continuing. "W-we don't want the stupid apartment so _there_." She poked him in the shoulder with her index finger to emphasize her point.

The three boys and Bella frowned at the redhead who seemed surprised by her own words.

Bella looked at Lily, confused. "We don't?"

Lily continued to look up into James's eyes with determined eyes of her own. She shook her head but leaned in to Bella to whisper not so quietly, "We _so_ do but," She smiled quite proudly of herself, unaware that the boys had heard every word. "They don't know that."

The guys shared amused glances at the exchange between the two girls.

Lily turned back to her boyfriend and motioned with her arms. "Yeah, s-so _take_ the damn thing for all we care."

James stared at her for a second or two with a small smile before shrugging. "Okay."

He started to walk away but Lily quickly stopped him, aware that her plan hadn't worked.

"Whoa, okay, _whoa_." She smiled sheepishly, drawing circles with her fingers on the back of his hands. "Um, I was just kidding and um…" She glanced behind her at Bella who now looked unsure. She sighed before looking up at James. "Pl_ease_? I mean, what are you _really_ going to do before the Banquet? Watch television, play videogames? You guys can do that at Sirius's. Bella and I need room to get---"

Sirius intervened again, still looking as determined and stubborn as he did before. "We get the apartment tonight before the Banquet. No ands, ifs, or buts about it!"

Lily glanced back and smiled sweetly at the other girl. "Bella, sweetie, do something about your boyfriend."

Bella looked at Sirius. "Honey, you'll be getting something out of this too."

Sirius seemed doubtful. "Yeah? What's that?"

Lily turned her attention back to the six-foot something guy in front of her and threw her arms around James's neck and he knew she would pull _all_ of the stops now. He felt all of her press against him and he swallowed, glancing quickly behind his girlfriend to see Remus give him a power sign. When he focused his attention on Lily, he realized that she was now standing on her tippy-toes to be eye level with him. Her lips were so close to his and he was so tempted…

"Please?" He felt her fingers drawing lazy circles at the base of his neck and in his hair. She _remembered_ him telling her that he loved it when girls did that and she was using it as _ammo_ now. "I mean, don't you want to see me all dressed up? Wouldn't it make you feel _so_ good to know that you're the only one I'll want to look sexy for…?"

James let out what sounded like a whimper and the other two guys watched with interest now, hanging on every word the redhead had to tell their best friend.

Lily's voice dropped an octave. "You want to know what I'll wear underneath if you let us have the apartment?"

The guys' eyes widen and Bella rolled her eyes, impatient to see if Lily would actually pull off getting them James's apartment that night.

"Oh, dear _God_," Remus mumbled, staring in awe at the couple but more specifically, at Lily.

Sirius nodded his head in agreement, right there with him.

Lily smiled mischievously when James nodded slowly. She leaned up, sucked on his earlobe for just a brief second before whispering so that really no one_ but_ James could hear, "Absolutely—_nothing_." She leaned back and noticed how dark James's eyes had become and she decided that now was the best time, "And all you have to do is let us---"

James nodded, licking his lips. "O_kay_, it's all yours."

Lily let out an excited scream, jumping back. "Y_es_!"

Sirius snapped out of his daze then and looked incredulous. "No!"

Remus stared at the couple in confusion. "Well, what is she going to--?"

Bella smirked at her boyfriend, motioning with her hands. "_Cha-ching._"

Sirius remained indignant. "Wha—that's not fair." He motioned to Lily who was now dancing happily around Remus. "She used the sex card. You can't _do_ that."

"Says who?" The brunette looked smug. "I seem to remember you doing that a couple nights ago when I wouldn't let you watch that---"

"That's _different_."

Sirius folded his arms as Lily danced around him, singing, "_We got the apartment, we got the apartment…_"

The guys watched as the now happy two girls danced out of the room.

James turned with a big grin on his face to see his two friends glaring at him. His grin wavered. "Wh—what?"

Sirius shook his head, looking at James, disappointed. "Remus, what was that motion?"

"_Wah-psh."_

…

Lily stared at herself nervously in the vanity mirror of James's bedroom. She and Bella had finally managed to persuade the guys to let them use the apartment to get ready earlier that day and the two girls had spent the last two hours or so shaving, painting their nails (fingers and toes), showering, doing their hair, and applying make-up. They'd finally split for the last ten minutes or so to go put on their dresses. The guys would be there any minute now.

She wasn't _even_ going to lie.

She was—she hasn't sworn like this in a long time—fucking scared _shitless_.

Sure, the students had seen her on campus. Most talked to her now. Some of the guys even casually (and some not so casually) hit on her between classes while the girls complimented her on her new wardrobe but… she hadn't exactly walked into a room with her new _boyfriend_. See, that was something else entirely and she wasn't sure she was ready to handle all of the emotions that went along with that _responsibility_.

She'd come along way but her frame of mind from just a few months ago told her she was way out of her league. James Potter was like—this _god_. Girls everywhere on campus talked about their hopes and dreams of someday sweeping a single Mr. Potter off of his feet. Some were even planning the rich guest lists of the so and so slash James Potter wedding. It was ridiculous to hear these girls talk while she sat in their circles; feeling completely out of place while Bella flashed her knowing smiles. She'd smack that brunette if she asked _one_ more time why Lily didn't just _tell_ those girls that _she_ was with James now.

"You don't understand!" Lily had exclaimed, throwing her hands about. "Those girls are scary!"

Bella had thrown her a doubtful look. "Can they really be any scarier than the people _you_ used to deal with on a regular basis?"

Lily had paused but then exclaimed, "Yes!"

The truth of the matter was that Lily still somehow felt inadequate to James. She felt as though if she walked into that banquet tonight, there would be Mr. James Michael Potter and right on his arm would be puny, little Evans, the never-forgotten-can't-get-rid-of-the-friggin'-nickname Reject. She felt like her life was being put on display by going to the banquet, like people would judge her no matter what she wore or whom she went with.

Still, though, she couldn't shake the feeling of excitement at going with James. Not even to show him off or anything. She genuinely, _obviously_ enjoyed his company. She liked the way he made her feel inside, the way he made her stomach feel as though it were doing somersaults and she might either be really happy or really sick. He had a way of making her forget everything else in the room, making everything else in the entire _world_ okay if only she could just feel his lips on her _everywhere_. The feeling was new and every time they were near each other, she sought to capture that moment in her mind just before their lips touched, or just before he entered and completed her. She _loved_ those moments.

She felt the giddiness rise up and felt the sudden urge to give a shout of joy.

She jumped though when she heard a knock on the door.

She swallowed, her heart beating a mile a minute.

"Lily, are you done in there? I want to see." Bella's voice carried into the bedroom.

Lily could've sworn. The brunette had just scared the bajeezes out of her. "Um, n-not quite."

"C'mon, you've got to at _least_ be dressed."

Lily glanced down at her teal dress, hugging her curves but flowing comfortably over her body.

"I'm coming in." She heard the doorknob turn.

"No!"

It was too late.

Bella walked in and stopped when she saw Lily turn to her.

Lily stomped her feet half-heartedly on the carpet and whimpered slightly. "Dammit, I _knew_ I should've locked it."

The brunette's eyes swept over Lily and she opened her mouth to speak. "Wow, you look so—so… Lily, you look _beautiful_."

Lily's eyes watered a bit at the sincerity and heart-felt admission. "Really?"

Bella nodded, wordlessly.

Lily already knew Bella would look gorgeous in the royal blue dress that flowed straight to the floor, trailing a bit behind the brunette. "_Aw_, you too!"

The two girls met in the middle of the room and Bella played with Lily's hair, which was up with the occasional curls cascading down her neck. "Oh, and I love the curls."

Lily nodded, turning her attention to her reflection in the smaller mirror on the wall. "Yeah, I was just trying to—to get the last clip up."

Bella took the clip from Lily's hand, wordlessly, and began helping Lily with the last strand. After, she smiled and said, "Done."

"Girls, are you in here? 'Cause we're in the living room ready to—_whoa_."

Lily and Bella turned to see Remus stop dead in his tracks. They both glanced at each other with a shared smile before looking at Remus who walked up to them, giving both a kiss on the cheeks. "You both look stunning by the way."

"Thank you," Bella said proudly, tipping her chin up and draping her arm behind Remus' neck.

"Well worth losing the apartment over." Remus nodded, winking at Lily.

"Ooh, you guys will never get over that, will you?" Lily groaned.

"I will," Remus said, "Sirius won't."

Bella rolled her eyes. "He'll get over it."

"Forget about it is more likely. Look at you, Bella, you look amazing."

Bella flashed Lily a smile, letting Remus walk her out of the bedroom. "Thanks, I try."

Lily looked at herself in the mirror one last time before walking out. She stopped when she saw everyone waiting in the living room. Bella was already wrapped in Sirius's arms and he was proving to her that he did in fact appreciate allowing the girls to use the apartment while Remus was already at the door, waiting. Her gaze fell on James who was sitting on the couch, looking bored, but when his eyes found hers, he immediately stood up, brushing off his tuxedo jacket.

She smiled slowly when his gaze swept over her body. She watched as he took notice of her pedicured toes and her shiny calves and thighs. Her dress wasn't quite as long as Bella's but shorter and only fell to her mid-thigh. With all of the waitressing, walking from building to building on campus, and uh, other _nightly activities_ that kept her occupied, she was as in shape as ever. The darkened eyes of her boyfriend told her he appreciated all of those things that kept her in shape.

"So," She bit her lower lip and tried not to nervously play with her hands, "What do you think?"

He stepped closer to her and said so no one else could hear them, "I think if we _had_ gone on that date and you'd worn that, we would've skipped the meal altogether."

His breath tickled the outer shell of her ear and she shivered, though not exactly sure of the _direct_ cause. She swallowed past the lump forming in her throat and closed her eyes, allowing the feeling of James's words to affect her, if only for a few seconds. She could see just beyond her eyelids she and James kicking the front door open that Remus seemed to be clinging onto and…

She opened her eyes and whispered, "Later."

He nodded his head in agreement, licking his lips and inevitably drawing her attention there.

"Guys, are we ready to go?" Remus asked, anxious to get out of there. It was all couple-y and seeing as he was the only one without someone to couple with, he just wanted to leave.

Sirius shrugged. "I'd be fine skipping the banquet altogether if---"

Bella smiled mischievously. "C'mon, Sirius, there's time for that _later_. Besides," She started to walk out of the apartment with Sirius trailing closely behind her, hanging onto her every word, "Lily's not the _only_ one wearing nothing under her dress."

Sirius's eyes widened as he continued to follow Bella.

Remus trailed behind them, rolling his eyes.

Lily walked over the threshold and started to walk faster to catch up with the others when she felt a hand tug her back. She looked back at James who had a look of concern on his face. "What? What's wrong?"

His hand brushed against the sensitive spot on her neck and she shivered again. He really had to _stop_ doing that or they really _wouldn't_ make it to the Banquet. "Did you—uh—did you stay true to your word?"

She frowned. "My word?"

He swallowed. "Yeah, the uh, _not_ wearing anything underneath…"

His voice trailed off when a big smile overtook her pretty features.

"We'll have to see, won't we?"

…

"—And Andy's the guy who used to grunt like a pig, and ooh, that guy… his name is _Vin_cent. _He_ used scratch at the bedpost anytime your nose touched his belly button."

Lily and Bella stood at the drink table, going over all of the guys there at the Banquet that Lily used to be in a 'relationship' with.

"What's the weird thing with that guy over there?" Bella pointed to the tall but awkward guy glancing every so often in their direction. "I think he's looking over here like he knows you or something."

Lily looked and upon seeing whom it was, waved him off casually. "Oh, that's just Benny. He's been trying to get in my pants for like… _months_ now."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "And _he's_ the one you turned down?"

Lily glared at the brunette. "I thought we were going to keep this conversation light---"

Bella waved her off. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry." She glanced around and found another guy, pointing. "What about that one?"

Lily smacked Bella's arm lightly, taking a sip of her water. "Um, o_kay_, don't _point_. That's _Joshua_. He was amazing in---"

"Lily Evans, you look beautiful."

The redhead and Bella turned to see who had given her the compliment.

Lily smiled when she saw Jordan grinning down at her and immediately went to hug him. "Jordan!"

He laughed and hugged her back. When they parted, his eyes gave her a once over. "Damn, girl, you clean up nice."

Lily laughed, throwing her head back. She'd missed Jordan since she hadn't been going to the Shelter very often lately. "Thanks, you're not too bad yourself."

Bella nudged Lily and was a little offended that the redhead didn't introduce Bella to the tall, handsome man right away. "Uh—Lily?"

"Uh—huh?"

The brunette motioned to Jordan who immediately got the point.

He reached out his hand to shake hers. "Jordan."

She smiled her best smile. "Bella."

He nodded, amusement in his eyes. "You're the daughter of Annette Potter, right?"

She nodded; pleased he knew who she was. "Yep, that'd be me."

He then turned his attention to Lily who had her eyebrows raised at Bella's attitude toward him. "So, you've been keeping different company since you haven't been working at the Shelter? Ooh, I understand now. I'm not worth your time?"

Lily laughed and playfully shoved him away. "Right. Get away from me."

His dark eyes sparkled when he smiled and he leaned down to hug her again. "I heard you've been getting your life on track."

Lily shrugged sheepishly. "Been trying."

Jordan nodded. "Don't lose sight."

"I won't."

He turned serious then, as if he were talking to his younger sister about something important. "Does this change in any way have to do with James Potter?"

Lily nodded slowly, smiling at Jordan's protectiveness of her. "Yeah. A _bit_."

He pointed at her. "I'm watching out for you. Keep doing what you're doing, alright?"

"I will."

"Good." He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek before leaning back and touching Bella's shoulder briefly and saying, "Bella, it was nice meeting you."

Bella blinked, obviously taken by Jordan's good looks and kindness. "You too."

He gave one last meaningful look at Lily. "Watch out for Lucius tonight, Lil. Don't let him get to you."

Lily's eyebrows rose. "Wha—he's here?"

He nodded briefly. "Supposedly."

The two girls watched as Jordan turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Bella turned to Lily, nodding in Jordan's direction. "What about Jordan?"

Lily, who was still looking at where Jordan had disappeared to, shook her head, half not paying attention. "Never."

"_Earth to Lily_…" Bella waved a hand in front of the redhead's face.

Lily swallowed and looked at Bella. "Yes?"

The brunette frowned. "What's the matter?"

The other girl seemed to pause before answering quickly. "I'm leaving."

Bella watched as Lily put her cup down and started to head for the exit. It only took a few seconds before Bella caught on to Lily's intent and she quickly walked to catch up with her. "Whoa, wow, what are you doing?"

Lily gritted her teeth and motioned with her arms. "Leaving, what does it look like?"

Bella stopped Lily before she could start walking again. "Y-y-you can't leave."

"_Y-y-yes_ I can." Lily mocked Bella and the other girl glared at her.

"What about James?"

Lily made a sound like she'd just remembered something. "Ooh, _shoot_." She fixed Bella with an innocent, pleading look. "Could you tell him that I had cramps, I went back to his apartment and um, _ooh_, that if he wants to join me, I will be completely awake and willing to participate in any sort of---"

Bella frowned at her. "No! What?"

Lily stared at the brunette before realization hit her. "Oh, that's right. The whole brother-sister thing. That's probably _not_ what would make you most comfortable…" She trailed off, laughing a little to herself.

"No, that's not what I'm concerned about!" Bella cried and then paused. "Although _now_ it is."

Lily frowned. "Then what is it?"

"You can't just keep running away every time Lucius shows up!"

Lily stopped and looked serious now. "Why the hell not?"

"_Because_." Bella paused, gathering her thoughts. "Because you'll always be running then, won't you? You'll never be able to just be comfortable getting on with your life if you always have one ear and eye out for the _past_. That's _back_wards."

Lily swallowed. "That's what Annette says."

Bella nodded, giving Lily a meaningful look. "And you've always listened to her, haven't you?"

Lily nodded and Bella let out a sigh of relief.

The redhead swatted Bella's shoulder and the brunette looked at Lily. "What was that for?"

Lily grumpily turned back to the banquet. "For using your mother's words on me."

Bella grinned. "It worked, didn't it?"

Lily smiled sarcastically at the other girl and leaned against the drink table, folding her arms.

After a couple of minutes of staring at the crowded room, Bella nudged Lily.

"Hey, what about that cute guy near the two girls with those ugly green dresses?"

…

James smiled as he felt Lily rest her head against his chest when they settled in to dance to a slow song. He'd been waiting for a slow one for about forty-five minutes now and finally, there came one. He and Sirius had tried to get Remus to ask a girl to dance but to no such luck. He wondered if the fact that he was paired up with Lily and Sirius was paired off with Bella bothered Remus any. However, thoughts of Remus flew out of his mind when he pulled Lily against him and they swayed slowly this way and that to the music.

A few feet away, Sirius held James's sister in his arms, singing the words to the song, quite dramatically, making Lily look over, throw her head back and laugh:

_"The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful_

_Stop me and steal my breath_

_Emeralds from mountains that thrust toward the sky_

_Never revealing their depth_

_And tell me that we belong together_

_Dress it up with the trappings of love_

_I'll be captivated_

_I'll hang from your lips_

_Instead of the gallows of heartache that hangs from above."_

The words seemed to speak to something in James's mind as he watched Lily laugh at the way Sirius swung Bella about, dipping her dramatically and belting out the words to the song. The feeling of the chorus sunk in and it was the first time in a long time, he felt as though he were living the words with the girl he held in his arms. He held her tighter and she looked up at him then, sensing a change in the air.

"What's the name of this song?"

He shrugged, swallowing past the lump in his throat. There was something scary about the way Lily looked up at him sometimes; something scary in the way he felt when he was around her. He tried to glance away but her intense green eyes kept him locked in place. She made him feel things he'd never felt before; she took him to higher places and he found himself enchanted by everything because of her.

She looked away then and poked Sirius on the shoulder as the couples bumped together because of Sirius's wild motions. "Hey, what's the name of this song?"

Sirius didn't seem to want to pay attention, as he held onto his girl tighter.

Lily looked at Bella expectantly and the brunette smiled. "The song is called 'I'll Be' by Edwin McCain."

James swallowed again as Lily nodded slowly before looking up at him. He smiled and leaned down so that she could hear him. "This song reminds me of you." He pulled back and she smiled, touched by his revelation, before she leaned her head against his chest again and they slow danced the rest of the song.

…

"James, Bella."

The two couples split after the song ended to see Annette coming to stand in front of them.

Bella immediately hugged her. "Hey, nice to see you haven't wasted any time going through my jewelry." She touched the older woman's earrings briefly before giving her mother a look.

Annette smiled innocently. "You haven't been home in weeks. How was I supposed to ask you?"

James leaned down and kissed his mom before shrugging. "Where's Dad?"

Annette motioned to the entranceway. "Talking to the photographer. Apparently, he wants us to take a family picture."

James and Bella nodded and gave their dates apologetic looks before heading over to where their father was.

Annette turned back to Sirius and Lily who watched them go. "You two can join us if you'd like."

Both Sirius and Lily glanced at each other before shaking their heads to decline.

Annette nodded. "Well, if you change your mind…"

She disappeared through the crowd, trailing after her kids.

Lily and Sirius stood awkwardly next to each other before Sirius motioned to the drink table. "You want a drink?"

She looked up at him before nodding and following him as he led them to the drink table.

Sirius handed her a cup and she took it gratefully. "So, uh… I guess it's not so bad that you and Bella took the apartment."

Lily looked up suddenly, wondering how far Sirius was really willing to take the whole apartment issue thing.

"I mean, if you turned out looking _this_ beautiful then…"

She couldn't help it. A big smile crept over her features. "Thank you."

He shrugged. "You're alright, Evans."

She laughed. "Glad you think so."

He gave her a half smile and playfully shoved her.

She returned the favor, feeling oddly very comfortable with Sirius right then.

"So you two _are_ seeing each other!"

The pair stopped suddenly at the _annoying_ high-pitched voice of the one and only Shauna Williams. They slowly, _reluctantly_ turned to see her standing there, in a light pink dress and wild, curly blonde hair.

"You know, Williams," Sirius frowned, putting his hands in his pockets, "You never really did make a whole lot of sense when you and James dated…"

Shauna fixed him with a dirty stare. "Um, okay, is that supposed to hurt or something?"

He shrugged. "I was just making that point 'cause you haven't exactly changed much now, have you?"

"_Psh_. Talk to the hand, Sirius, 'cause my beautiful face doesn't want to hear it."

Lily raised an amused eyebrow at the blonde.

Sirius frowned, about to make a comment of his own but Shauna cut him off. "Thrown a shoe at anyone lately, Black?"

"I don't know," Sirius narrowed his eyes at the ditz in front of him. "Walked in on any bloke trying to have sex with his girlfriend?"

Shauna folded her arms and shifted on her feet. "Mad I'll let James in on your little secret that you've been having sex with Evans at his apartment?"

"Wha—?"

Lily clapped a hand over Sirius's mouth and let out a nervous laugh, looking at Shauna who eyed her suspiciously. "Well, it looks like the playful banter between you two has finally run its course. Now why don't you run along and ice bitch to other people?"

"Look, Evans, you may have _changed_ and all that, but around here, _I'm_ still the most beautiful girl in all of the land." She tipped her nose higher and smiled at Lily coldly. "Have fun with Sirius, although I've heard from _tons_ of girls that he comes just a little _too_ soon, if you know what I mean…" She paused as if in thought before adding, "Although I'm sure you know _exactly_ what I mean."

The pair watched Shauna walk off, quite proud of herself.

Lily let Sirius go, giving him an apologetic look.

He frowned at her. "What about us having sex in James's apartment?"

She waved it off. "Long story. Some day I'll tell it to you."

He nodded, still frowning but looking away. After a couple of seconds, he quickly said, "And you know about the whole '_too_ soon' thing that I don't---"

Lily nodded quickly. "Gotcha."

…

The group had been settled in at their table for about a half an hour.

Sirius and Bella whispered quietly between them and occasionally, the other three would look at Bella, surprised to hear her giggle. Apparently, Sirius seemed to be whispering some very naughty things to the brunette which made her throw her head back and laugh, wrapping her arms lazily around his neck and pulling him closer.

James frowned at the couple before turning his attention back to Remus and Lily.

"You're handling it very well, James." Remus smiled, patting his friend on the back.

James nodded sarcastically, fidgeting with his napkin. "Yeah, it's as if I'd agreed to their whole relationship thing _years_ ago. Don't they have anything better else to do than talk about—I can't even _say_ it!"

Lily covered his hand with hers. "Then don't."

He looked at her and she nodded to Sirius and Bella who were very absorbed in each other.

"Just let them be."

James folded his arms grumpily and sat heavier in his chair. "Fine, take their side."

Lily glanced at Remus with an amused expression before looking back at James. "I'm not taking anyone's side. Although if you ask me _now_ if I think you're being a _little_ ridiculous, you'll find my mind's changed about _that_ bit of information."

"_Aha_!" He pointed at her, sitting up. "You _are_ taking their side!"

Lily closed her eyes briefly to reign in all of the self-control she could muster before opening her eyes to look at her _really_, _really_ _stubborn_ but _sexy_ boyfriend. She sat up as well and faced him in her chair. Her hands hit his thighs softly with every word she said to make her point. "I—am—_not_—taking—their—side."

"You just said---"

She emphasized her point more by hitting him harder that made him shut his mouth. She looked him in the eye and continued, "_But_—they've been seeing each other longer than we have and you've had _a week and a half_ to absorb it all into your stubborn, grudge-holding skull. I think it's time you accepted it---"

"I have but---"

"—No!" She paused and swallowed. "For _real_ now."

They stared at each other intensely now and Lily felt as though fireworks had gone off in her stomach. Her hands gripped his thighs and she watched his Adam's apple move as he swallowed. Their mini argument out loud had just turned into something much more passionate and heated between their eyes and Lily had no idea how that had happened.

All she knew was that at one minute, she was trying to fight her frustration at James's complaining about the relationship between his sister and best friend and then the next, she'd looked up to find him staring at her in a way that made her wish they were back at his apartment and he was _now_ discovering whether she'd kept true to her promise.

_Damn_ the Banquet.

Remus, who took their silence and intense stares to mean that they were still arguing, stood up and poked Lily on her knee. "Hey, you want to dance?"

The couple slowly broke out of their moment and Lily looked up at Remus, knowing the last thing she wanted to do was dance. Least of all (no offense, she loved Remus very much but) with Remus. But, glancing at James who tilted his head slightly with a look of promise in his eyes, she decided that it was best that they separate before they ended up trying at it in one of the stalls in the downstairs bathrooms.

She nodded and smiled at Remus as best she could. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Just as they were about to walk away from the table, someone stepped in front of Lily, making her stumble back a bit.

"I heard _one_ of the Marauders was dating my Lily but I wasn't sure _which_ one."

Lily's breath stopped in her throat. "Lucius."

Lucius looked at the people at the table who now stood up. "Who _is_ seeing _my_ Lily?"

James stepped in front of Lily protectively. "That'd be me. Which means she's not exactly yours, now is she?"

Sirius kept Bella behind him as he watched Lucius smirk. "Leave us alone, Malfoy."

The white-blonde haired man laughed, looking down at Lily. "You were always good at finding the knight and shining armored guys."

James narrowed his eyes at the other man. "Don't talk to her."

Lucius ignored James and kept his gaze on Lily who was still having a hard time breathing. "James Potter, huh? Is that what tickles down low these days? You know, 'cause I'd been wondering where my favorite whore---"

"Malfoy, I wouldn't---"

Lucius ignored Remus and continued. "What do you see in a man whose thick-headedness will get someone he loves killed, Lils? Where's your future with him? What's so special about _James_ _Potter_?"

Bella glared at Lucius, folding her arms across her chest. "Well, for starters, he's not criminally _psycho_---"

Lucius' gaze swept over the group to the brunette and he grinned, narrowing his eyes. "You're Bella Potter, correct?"

Bella swallowed but gave no indication of whether he was right or not.

He didn't seem to care and continued. "I remember one of my guys talking about you. Yes, you made quite the impression." His eyes settled on Lily again who clenched her jaw tightly. "Damek was very taken by your performance."

Sirius glared at Malfoy. "You just love to hear yourself speak, don't you?"

Lucius smirked but didn't answer Sirius's question. "What a shame Lily pushed him off when she did. I heard you have the _perfect_ pussy."

Sirius made a sound that was a lot like a growl and tried to get at Lucius from where he was but Remus held onto him tightly, keeping him back.

Lucius laughed, a cold one that sent shivers down Lily's back more than the chill of the night ever could. She thought she'd gotten stronger, thought she could handle it even just a little bit if she came tonight, but with Lucius' cold gaze falling on her as his laughter subsided, he was proving her completely wrong.

"Of course. Not as perfect as yours---"

In a quick motion, James punched Lucius square in the face, causing Lucius' head to fall back from the force. _"Son of a bitch."_

His friends looked shocked at his actions but no one moved as they watched Lucius take the blow. When he looked up, blood was already pouring from his nose and he wiped it with the napkin he took off of the table. When he saw the blood, he laughed, shaking his head and looking at James. "Yes, see, I thought _you_ were the son of a bitch."

James tried to leap at Lucius but Sirius _and_ Remus grabbed a hold of him before he could touch the other man.

Lucius stepped back and glared at Lily hard who averted her gaze. He then looked at James who was trying to shrug his friends' hands off of him. "I can't wait for your day, Potter. I want to see it with my own two eyes."

James sent Lucius a dark look. "Keep talking, Malfoy, and your day will come a lot sooner than _mine_."

"James!"

The group turned to see Annette standing there, looking shocked and angry at the exchange between her son and Malfoy. Apparently James was done and he turned, grabbing his jacket off of the back of his chair and walking away from the table. Many people had turned to see what the big problem was and was now staring as Sirius and Remus muttered something about going after James and left.

Lily looked at Lucius who she saw staring intensely at her.

"You'll be seeing me soon, Lil." He winked at her and it caught her off guard to see him do something that she'd seen Remus do to her earlier that evening. _"Don't lose sight."_

…

Lily and Bella found Sirius who had just finished taking a drink from the water bubbler.

"There you are." Bella said.

Sirius nodded. "Mrs. Potter caught up to us and we told her what happened."

Bella frowned. "What did she say?"

He shrugged, wrapping his arms around her. "Same old that she's been telling us for ten years now. Are you alright?"

Bella nodded and Lily looked around. "Where's James?"

He motioned down the walkway further. "Remus walked him to the back so he'd cool off. I was just going to head back in and look for you guys. The three of us are kind of ready to head out whenever you two are."

Lily started walking toward the direction Sirius said James was. "Yeah, we'll meet up with you."

Sirius and Bella nodded as they watched her walk away.

…

It didn't take long for Lily to find James. There were only a few places 'the back' could possibly mean and Lily had spent much of her time at the Shelter in hiding. She knew every nook and cranny of the place, more so than Annette Potter herself. She met James and Remus on the lower back deck. Remus was standing and James was sitting on the bench when Lily joined them.

She leaned against the doorway. "Sirius was saying you guys wanted to leave?"

The guys looked up at her and nodded when they saw it was her.

She shrugged. "Let's get out of here then."

Remus, sensing that she meant for him to head out before them, nodded and patted James on the shoulder before walking inside.

Lily took a deep breath before coming to sit next to James. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Lily breathed out slowly. "I meant to be a lot stronger in front of him than I was tonight."

James frowned but didn't look at her. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "Maybe if I'd spoken up for myself, you wouldn't have had to…"

Her voice trailed off as she looked down at his hand, thoughtfully. Her fingers caressed his knuckles before lifting his hand with her own and bringing it to her lips. She allowed her warm breath to caress the raised spots before she placed a tender, open-mouthed kiss there. Her eyes quickly looked up to find his and found that his eyes were closed now and his nostrils flared.

"James, I'm so sor--"

His eyes opened immediately and locked on hers. That made her stop. "Don't apologize."

"James--" She started to look away but he shook his head.

"No." It was that same stubborn tone he'd used earlier while talking about Sirius and Bella's relationship. "It's not your fault that Malfoy is an asshole."

"But I should've said something, _anything_, to defend myself instead of having you or Sirius or Bella do it for me." Lily was, first and foremost, ashamed that she couldn't say anything while in the presence of Lucius.

"Hey," James lifted her chin gently and smiled, "You'll be able to do it eventually. Just right now, tonight, it was too soon. But you will. I know it."

She didn't respond and James let her chin go, sitting further back on the bench.

"Besides, I've got enough shame to last us _both_ the rest of the night."

Lily frowned. "What? Why?"

He shook his head, not looking at her. "I've never really um… _reacted_ the way I did before."

"You mean you've never hit someone before?" She kind of found that hard to believe.

He shook his head again. "No, I've hit plenty of people."

She nodded, leaning back with him. _Oh_.

"Just tonight was a bit different."

Her voice was small when she spoke. "Why?"

He shrugged, choosing to look at her then. "Same reason things are always different with you." And he did something she'd never seen him do before: he chewed on his lip. "I don't know exactly what you're doing to me, Evans, but you've got me doing something I'm not all that familiar with."

She smiled shakily, catching the fact that he was disguising his fear by teasing her. "Oh yeah?"

His teasing tone vanished and he was serious again. "I'm so—so… _protective_ of you." He shook his head, narrowing his eyes as if he was trying to figure something out. "Now, I've never been that way before. I'm not sure I like it, really."

Lily swallowed and looked at him meaningfully.

"Gotta say… as the person who you're so protective of? I'm not exactly complaining."

He stared at her in wonder as she held his gaze for a few seconds before standing up and leaving him to his own thoughts.

He could hear his dad's voice when he would tell him the news.

"_Lily Evans, huh? That the one, son?"_

_Yeah, Dad. She's the one._

…

**A/N:** Another quick update. This one came a lot easier than I thought it would. We sort of saw a lot of characters in this but I hope it was a fast read and didn't drag on for boredom reasons. Now, I know I've pleaded continually for everyone to understand if I don't update sooner than people would like and I haven't had to test that yet, but that plea is still in effect. I've only drawn out the next chapter so don't expect the next update to come as quickly as the last two chapters have come. I'm happy I've been able to update in record time but please, let's not get used to this. I'll try my best and I'm happy that everyone seems to be so understanding so I'll try to keep the chapters rolling.

I'm anxious and excited for everyone reading to see what is in store for this story. I've been planning the ending since I've started (I knew how I wanted this story to end before I knew how to begin it) and have geared everything that you've read so far to this ending so… yay! Hopefully, I've managed to keep people still interested. Thank you for everyone's time and patience and I'll try to get the chapter out as soon as I am able to!


	18. About Remus and Interruptions

**Author: **WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Remus and Interruptions

**Chapter Began:** Sunday, July 15, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Tuesday, July 17, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Tuesday, July 17, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Summary:** AU. At the prestigious private University of Percy Academy, James Potter is a rich, second year grad student who has no time and patience to deal with lowlife rejects like Lily Evans.

**Author's Note:** I thank everyone for the support! Thank you for the thought and consideration put into your reviews. It really means a lot.

How I came up with the idea for this story…

The initial idea of this story came from the song "Runaway Love" by Ludacris. I actually started listening to the song before it was played on the radio and around the same time, I'd been thinking that I needed to branch out and write another story aside from In Dedication. The story didn't actually present itself until _after_ I came up with the _ending_. I knew I wanted so and so to do this (can't tell who or what because it would blow the last two chapters of my story) but I couldn't figure out how I could make it different than all of the stories out there exactly like it.

The two ideas (the song and my idea) merged to form this really dark but sweet (and probably very cliché) story of Lily being this sort of "helpless" figure who's not at all helpless but in fact, a strong, fiercely passionate woman dealt a particularly bad hand. To counterpart her character, I made James into this rich hotshot whose never set foot in any sort of projects or ghetto and have never been surrounded by the kind of people Lily deals with on a regular basis. The dynamics between the two kind of demonstrate the varying levels of strength and character and the ability to love and to receive love.

So, what everyone is reading _now_, came to me much later in my thought process than the ending did. I sort of worked backwards from where I saw all of these characters in the future and developed this back story and history that will make the ending that much more powerful and inspiring, I hope. Everything everyone is reading now is geared toward the ending and it's actually pretty exciting because I find that a lot of times, we start stories without any clear ideas of where we want to end up and so we're sort of writing without direction. This story has a special place for me because everything leading up to the end counted from the very first chapter.

I've found that the story has undergone many different levels and now it just writes itself.

LOL and that is the very long explanation on how I came up with this story.

**Chapter Seventeen: About Remus and Interruptions**

_Recap:_

"_Lily, wait up." Remus tugged at Lily's arm. _

"_I'm sorry, it's just… if I'd known that introducing you two would lead us here, I don't know if I would've."_

_She frowned, looking up at him. "Why not? The sex is incredible."_

_He held up his hands. "Whoa, whoa, whoa… too much information."_

"_Right. I just mean, why wouldn't you have?"_

_Remus shrugged. "I guess I've always kind of had this image of you and I. Sort of."_

_Lily blinked a few times._

"_I know it's far-fetched and you've probably never thought of it--"_

"_No. Can't say I have."_

…

"_If we continue to sit here and scrutinize whatever they have, we could possibly be destroying the only way out for Lily." _

"_Who cares about Evans?"_

"_I do." Remus said simply. "I do a lot and I think she has a real chance at doing something amazing."_

…

"_You know what I'll wear underneath if you let us have the apartment?"_

"_Oh, dear God," Remus mumbled, staring in awe at the couple but more specifically, at Lily._

…

_Remus poked Lily on her knee. "Hey, you want to dance?"_

"_Yeah, I'd like that."_

…

"_Shush!"_

James's eyebrows shot up in surprise when he walked into his apartment to find Sirius and Bella curled up on his living room couch and Remus lying on the floor, staring intently at his flat-screened television. He closed his front door and turned again to face his friends. He glanced at the television and noticed they were watching a scene from _Free Willy_. He sighed tiredly when he saw Bella bury her face against Sirius's chest. He looked at Remus.

"What are you guys doing here?"

Remus looked up at him from his spot on the carpeted floor. "Oh, um… Lily invited us over."

James frowned. "Where is she?"

The three, absorbed in the end of the movie, wordlessly pointed down the hallway.

James shook his head, muttering to himself, before walking down the hallway and turning into his bedroom. The first thing he noticed was that his bedroom per _se_ was empty. It was only when he turned toward the large, walk-in closet that he realized his room was in fact occupied. He turned and closed his bedroom door shut, leaning against it and looked toward the lighted closet.

"You know, if you keep inviting them over, we won't have any time to ourselves."

Lily poked her head out, smiled contentedly when she was who it was, and said in a soft voice, "Hey, you."

The irritation at his friends occupying his living room without _his_ permission slipped away when she said those two words. When she personalized a greeting like that, with just the right tone, anything negative that he might've felt always slipped away. Of course, only for a little while, but the effect was still the same. Just as he smugly claimed she could never stay mad at him, they both knew that she affected him likewise.

He watched her motion that she needed a minute to do something in the closet before he pushed off from the door and walked fully into his bedroom, standing in the middle of it. After a couple of seconds, she returned, shutting the light off in the closet and placing the bag in her hand on the floor. She turned to him and his gaze swept over her as it always did when he hadn't seen her first thing in the morning.

He'd had to fill in for someone as a T.A that morning and had had to leave pretty early. She'd still been asleep when he awoke but just before he left, she'd let him know sleepily that she was going to have breakfast and shop a little with Bella and Remus. He'd left his Master card for her on the kitchen counter, wondering how much shopping a girl had to do before she realized she had plenty of clothes.

He nodded toward the closed door. "How come you're not out there watching _Free Willy_?"

She shrugged, standing back from him a couple of feet. "I don't really like to watch sad movies with animals in them."

He frowned. "_Free Willy_'s not a sad movie. He gets to be free in the end."

"Yeah?" She bit on her lip in thought before pointing to him and saying, "But what about the boy?"

James shrugged. "He's happy knowing that Willy will be alright."

Lily shook her head. "I don't buy it. I mean, if they can't be together, then what's the point?"

He narrowed his eyes, gazing at the floor in thought.

"Oh!" He looked up at her in surprise and she pointed to him. "I have something for you."

He watched as she turned and bent down, digging through the bag she'd put on the floor before pulling out a long, thin box. She stood up and turned to him. She pointed to the bed and said, "Sit."

He smirked. "Are we going to have sex while we have _three _people over?"

She rolled her eyes as he sat down on the bed, looking up at her, waiting. "O-okay, so, um… we went shopping and—and well, I, uh, I got you something. N-now if you don't like it, then we can just, um, return it or whatever. I know you left me your card but I paid for _this_ myself." She smiled at him brightly, proud of herself and handed him the box.

He kept his smile to himself as he watched her step back and stuff her hands in her back jeans pocket, nervously waiting for him to open it. He glanced down at the thin, long box before taking the cover off. Inside was a fancy, silver watch. He stared at it for a long time before he heard Lily clearing her voice, nervously. He glanced up at her as she fidgeted with her hands.

"See, I thought I'd, um… get you a new watch since you lost the old one," she said and laughed nervously but then stopped just as quickly as she started. "A-and again, if you don't like it, I can just, um, return it, you know?"

He nodded mutely, gazing down at the expensive watch. It must've cost at least as much as one of her new outfits. He couldn't really describe the feelings coursing through him at the moment. The only thing he could really do was stare at the shiny object with the time already set right and wonder how he had come across a girl as special as Lily Evans. When had she become this beautiful, adorable, sexy woman? When, exactly, had she managed to work her way permanently into his system?

She gave a sad groan. "You don't like it, do you?"

He glanced up at her from his thoughts and saw the disappointed, embarrassed look on her face. He frowned, collecting his emotions before realizing that she took his silence to mean that he was unhappy with his gift from her. When he saw her stuff her hands in her back pockets and glance down at her feet, dejected, he quickly stood up and shook his head, anxious to explain to her that that wasn't what made him so quiet.

"Lily, no, that's not it."

She looked up at him, her eyes hesitantly hopeful. "Then what is it?"

He shook his head, motioning to the watch in his hand. "I like it, really. It's just…" He was aware that as he tried to find the right words to express what was going through his mind, she was trying to steel herself against any negative thing she thought he would have to say. He knew her. He knew that if she thought that he would say he didn't like it, she would try to pretend as though it didn't matter when in fact, it did. "You didn't have to do this."

She shrugged. "I wanted to."

"I know," He nodded. "I know that and that's what makes it mean more."

She looked at him then, her eyes alight. "You really like it?"

He nodded again. "Yeah, I really do."

And he meant it. Every word. Because Lily didn't come from a rich background where gifts such as watches and jewelry were passed between family members and loved ones. The very last thing he wanted to do was disappoint her from getting those things and if she felt like it, giving those things away. It touched him right to his soul that she would get him something expensive when she so obviously needed the money.

He pulled her to him, intent on showing her that he was happy for the gift. Their lips came together, passionate and ready, while her every curve and soft spot melded against the length of his hard body perfectly. She was made for this, these moments where every worrying thought that passed through James's mind scattered and he could feel her warm, small hands massaging their way up his chest, onto his shoulders, around to his neck, and then finally through his hair. He loved being with Lily like this. Craved it now, even with his friends in the next room.

She obviously remembered Sirius, Bella, and Remus and pulled back, breathing heavily and swallowed. She kept her face close to his though as she whispered, "I know where this is leading." When he smirked, she added, "No having sex while we have company."

He almost felt like begging. "What about that time Remus was over?"

She tried to step back but he wasn't ready to let her go. "That was different."

He leaned down and pressed his mouth to her neck. "How?"

"He was slee—oh my _God_, that feels so good."

He smiled against her neck before continuing to suck there. He felt her hands tugging gently at his hair and he groaned, closing his eyes at the feeling. His hands traveled around to her back and she sagged against him once more, finally giving in and allowing him to hold her weight against him. He turned with her and walked her backwards until the back of her knees bumped against the edge of the bed. She sat down, her hands fisting in his t-shirt as he stepped, still standing, between her legs.

He pulled back from kissing her and grinned down at her. Her eyes were still closed and her lips were red and irritated from his kisses. "Tell me how good…"

Her eyes opened slowly and the bright green eyes sparkled and winked at him. Her eyelids were hooded and he watched the tip of her tongue slowly come out to sweep across her lower lip before she grabbed his shirt and pulled him down for another kiss. He went eagerly, placing his knees on either side of her thighs and crouched over her on the bed. Her hands slid down his chest to the hem of his shirt and she yanked. Still trying to maintain contact, he did a pretty good job of getting his t-shirt over his head.

"_This_ good."

He groaned as her fingernails raked up and down his bare skin. It felt like he was on fire as she lifted her body and pushed up so that she was fully on the bed. They smiled at each other as he crawled up her body and captured her lips again. He could feel her nipples through her shirt pressing against the restrictive material. Just before he could get his hands there, she shoved him roughly, causing him to roll off of her. When he was about to turn to her, she threw her leg over his hip and straddled his waist.

She smiled mischievously down at him, flipping her long red hair to one side. "I'm on top."

He had no problem with that as she leaned down, her face only centimeters away from his. They paused like that and just as he leaned up to kiss her again, she pressed her index finger to his lips, effectively stopping him. Her smile grew as she slithered down his body, maintaining full contact and then knelt down off of the bed, her hands working at the belt buckle of his black slacks. He put his head back down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling before closing his eyes. He knew he was already hard and he gritted his teeth, trying to reign in his control as he felt his arousal spring free.

"Mm…" Lily hummed her approval.

He swallowed. "All for you."

He didn't need to look down at her to see that she knew that. She'd told him many times when they'd had sex (and they'd had many, many times) that she was in love with his penis. He never knew but Lily had told him that she thought his was "just about the most beautiful one she'd ever seen." He'd been very proud of that before realizing that she probably had the background and experience to rightfully judge. Shooing away _those_ unpleasant thoughts, he focused on Lily's expert touch as she stroked him from the base to his glistening tip. Just before he thought he would fall over the edge, she stopped and crawled her way back up his body.

He opened his eyes to see her pulling her shirt off. He swallowed again and his eyes took in her full breasts pushing out of the red lace bra she wore. He licked his lips and moaned in pleasure when she sat her soft bum on his arousal. She looked at him then and very slowly; she ground her ass and rotated her sex against his. He watched her throw her head back, closing her eyes and humming in the back of her throat. He would burst. He would go crazy, that was what he would---

"Guys, are you in there?"

The couple froze and Lily's head snapped up, her eyes immediately fixing on James's. He didn't need to be told that the look Lily had was a look of mixed fright and sexual frustration. He nodded his head, silently telling her he agreed.

He decided, though, that he wouldn't have any friends if he shouted at them. "Yeah, Remus…" He rolled his eyes. "We're in here."

"Alright, well," By the tone in Remus' voice, he seemed to understand what he'd just interrupted and rightfully sounded embarrassed when he continued, "I was just, um, about to leave so uh… if you guys… you know…"

James watched in amusement as Lily violently motioned for Remus to finish. "Yeah, alright, we'll be out in a minute…"

Remus didn't respond and the couple heard footsteps walk away from the door.

Lily let out a frustrated sound; hopping off of James and pulling her shirt back over her head. "See? I told you!"

James remained on the bed. "It's not _that_ bad."

Lily threw him a dirty look before her gaze slid down the length of his body to his erection. "Yeah because I'm sure _that's_ not really uncomfortable."

He swallowed but didn't answer.

She let out a whimper, pointing at him from her spot near the door. "You owe me a rain-check."

He watched her walk out of the bedroom and he leaned his head back again, exhaling slowly.

"_I'm_ the one who's suffering here…" He muttered under his breath. "I think you should owe _me_."

…

Bella and Sirius were saying goodbye to Remus when Lily walked out.

When Bella stepped forward to hug Remus, Sirius stepped back to stand next to Lily who awaited her turn and said, "I can tell what _you_ were doing before you came out here."

Lily glared up at him.

He wiggled his eyebrows with a smirk. "You must be _really_ frustrated now."

The redhead shook her head, waving him off before stepping forward to hug Remus goodbye.

James walked out then and called to his best friend, "Remus, are you going to be able to make the three on three game on Sunday?"

Remus looked up from hugging Lily and stepped back, shaking his head. "No, I, uh, I got a thing."

Sirius frowned. "A thing? Since when?"

"Yeah, Moony, we've had this game planned for _weeks_ now."

Remus shrugged. "Yeah, something came up."

"Okay." Sirius said slowly and motioned for his friend to elaborate but Remus only patted his friends on the back.

"I can't make it, I'm sorry. Tell me how it goes though, okay?"

Remus walked out of the apartment and the girls watched the two guys stand there in silence.

"I can't believe he didn't tell us." James said, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Now we're going to have to find someone else."

Lily and Bella took seats in silence on the couch. Bella picked up the magazine on the table while Lily tucked her feet under her body and played with her nails while listening. They glanced at each other a couple of times before averting their gazes.

"Who though?" James frowned.

Sirius shrugged. "Who do we know that can play reasonably well?"

"Uh," James narrowed his eyes in thought, "Well, there's um… Joey. That guy down the street? He could do that really cool slip-and-slide move…"

His voice trailed off when he saw Sirius shake his head. "No, no, _no_. That guy is creepy. No, I don't want him on my team."

James fixed him with an incredulous look. "C'mon, Padfoot. That was _one_ time that he patted you on the ass. One time. It's just something he does when he gets excited…"

Sirius continued to shake his head and folded his arms stubbornly. "No Joey and that's final."

"_Ahem."_

The two guys looked to see the girls on the couch, reading a magazine and playing with their nails casually. James and Sirius glanced at each other before rolling their eyes and turning their attention back to the girls.

Sirius smiled sweetly at them. "_Yes_?"

Lily glanced up at him before motioning to herself casually. "Oh, I'm _sorry_, did I do that?"

James narrowed his eyes at his girlfriend. "What was that all about?"

Lily's eyes met his and they stared each other down before she averted her gaze, turning back to play with her fingernails. "Oh, it was nothing." She fake coughed and pointed to her throat. "Must've been clearing my throat or something."

James and Sirius rolled their eyes again before James sat down next to Lily who moved over to let him have more room. "Lily, do _you_ know someone who could fill for Remus?"

Lily shrugged nonchalantly and said noncommittally, "I _might_."

Sirius frowned. "Who?"

She continued to play with her fingernails and said with the same tone of voice, "I might tell you guys if," James's eyes narrowed as Lily continued, "You let us talk to Remus about setting him up with a girl."

The guys' eyes widened and Sirius groaned. "You two are still hung up about _that_?"

Bella threw her magazine down and looked up at her boyfriend. "Why _not_? You guys treat it like you don't see it."

James kept his gaze on Lily. "I thought you agreed with Sirius and I when we said that Remus _doesn't_ need to be set up on a date. That if he was feeling lonely and he wanted a girlfriend, he could get one on his own."

Lily gave a frustrated sigh. "I know, I know. I did. _Really_ agree with you guys but then, you know, Bella started talking and…" The redhead looked a bit guilty. "I sort of started to see her point."

James pointed at Bella accusingly. "_You_. Are corrupting my girlfriend!"

Bella gave her older brother a dry look. "_You_. Need to grow up and _relax_." She stood up and motioned with her arms. "Listen, Remus just turned down playing basketball with you guys which means he's probably feeling a little lonely."

Sirius folded his arms grumpily. "Yeah, because he turns down playing with his best mates when he's lonely _all of the time_."

"C'mon," Lily placed a hand over James's and turned to him, fixing him with a meaningful look. "_I_ have something you want. All you have to do is let us set Remus up."

"He doesn't need to be set up!" Sirius exclaimed and pointed to James. "Your girlfriend… _Ooh_, I could…" He motioned like he was wrapping his hands around something.

"Hey!" Lily turned to Sirius. "This was _your_ girlfriend's idea, not mine!"

"Yeah, well," Sirius narrowed his eyes at her sarcastically, "It's _your_ word that's going to get James to say yes."

Lily flashed him a brilliant smile before turning to James and now placing both hands on his thighs. "Please? Let us at least _talk_ to Remus about setting him up."

James frowned, lolling his head around trying to consider it. "I don't know…"

Bella sighed. "Look, there's no harm in trying is there?"

Lily pointed to Bella repeatedly while still looking at her boyfriend and exclaiming, "Yeah, see, what she said!"

Bella continued. "I mean, what is really going to happen? He says no, he doesn't want to be set up? Big deal."

James looked up at Sirius who made a face. "What do you think?"

Sirius glared at Lily before saying, "_Ooh_, I hate girlfriends."

Lily smiled, excitedly turning back to James. "Is that a yes?"

Bella poked Sirius on the chest. "Careful, mister, you have one."

Sirius rolled his eyes and walked into the kitchen.

James nodded and looked between Lily and his sister. "_But_ if he says no or he seems uninterested, back off."

Bella shook her head, looking down at James. "Yes, because we would persist _after_ he says no."

Sirius walked back into the living room with a can of soda. "Well, the word _no_ hasn't stopped you two before."

James looked at Lily. "So, who's the guy?"

Lily frowned. "Guy?"

"Yeah," James nodded. "The guy who you had in mind for street ball."

"_Ooh_," Lily waved him off, "I just said that so you guys to say yes to us."

The guys looked at Lily incredulously before she cracked a grin.

"Kid-ding… I got you two good there, didn't I?" She laughed, elbowing James but he didn't seem in the mood to laugh so she cleared her throat and said quietly, "Jordan."

James narrowed his eyes. "The guy from the Shelter?"

Sirius frowned. "What guy from the Shelter?"

Bella brightened up considerably. "Ooh, I _like_ that guy from the Shelter."

Sirius's eyes widened and he turned back to Lily and James on the couch. "_What_ guy from the Shelter!"

…

"Lily? Bella? What are you girls doing here?"

The two girls turned to see Remus coming to stand in front of them. They both looked extremely out of place at an automobile shop. They glanced at each other nervously before looking up at Remus. Lily grabbed a magazine off of the stands and motioned to it, laughing.

"You know, catching up on some…" The redhead looked down at the car magazine with a woman posing provocatively against the hood of a racecar. She gulped and laughed nervously, "Porn! Great! Isn't that just…" She put the magazine back on the shelf and muttered quietly, "Great and _so_ not uncomfortable."

Remus narrowed his eyes at them, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I didn't know you two came here."

Bella playfully punched Remus on the shoulder with a nervous laugh of her own. "We didn't _you_ came here, uh, _either_." She lowered her voice so that only Lily could hear her, "Until we followed you four blocks…"

Lily nodded her head and clapped her hands together. "So! Now that we're all _here_… here at the same, um, place… do you ever feel the need to--"

Bella elbowed Lily and the redhead immediately closed her mouth.

"Need to what?" Remus frowned, folding his arms across his chest.

If Lily didn't know any better, she'd think he was enjoying this. "You _like_ cars?"

Remus' eyebrows shot up. "Uh, yes. Yes, I do."

Bella laughed again and fixed Lily with a strange look. "Yeah because he wouldn't walk into a store he didn't like…"

Lily shrugged and motioned to the magazine shelf. "Well, I picked up a car porn slash thingy and I don't _not_ do that unless--"

Remus shook his head. "What are you two really doing here?"

"Why?" Bella asked innocently.

"Yeah, can't we just really like cars and porn?" Lily folded her arms, trying to look indignant.

Remus considered them, looking between their hopeful faces before he shook his head. "Uh, no?" He sighed exasperated. "No, c'mon. Tell me _really_ why you're here."

The two girls looked at each other before Lily cracked first.

"Okay, okay." Lily paused before pointing at Bella, "It was all her fault! _She_ talked me into it. I was all fine, agreeing with the guys but _no_…"

"Hey!" Bella exclaimed. "You're a part of this too!"

Remus frowned. "A part of what?"

Bella turned to Remus. "Okay, so, we both had this idea--"

"_You_ had this idea." Lily folded her arms across her chest.

The brunette looked at Lily like she'd grown three heads. "Oh, c'mon, you were standing there with a _porn_ magazine in your hands!"

"_So_?" Lily looked out of place. "I could just really like…" She shifted on her feet uncomfortably. "Fast cars and—and naked… naked women, _so_!"

Bella stared at Lily with a dry look. "Please. I _beg_ you not to help me."

"Um, _I_ would really like to know why Lily all of a sudden switched from liking James to taking a sudden interest in fast cars and naked women." Remus said, raising his hand as if he were in class.

Lily groaned and the act dropped. "No, I don't. It was just this _thing_ that we were trying to do for you." She fixed the brunette with a sarcastic dirty look. "Completely backfired, if you ask me."

"What backfired?"

Bella turned to Remus. "Okay, so, you know how I'm with Sirius and Lily's with James?"

Remus nodded briefly, listening carefully.

"Well, Lily _and_ I had this idea that wouldn't it be great if Remus had a girlfriend too?"

Remus didn't show any sign of emotions and the two girls glanced at each other before Bella continued.

"'Cause I know it's got to be pretty hard, you know? When we all hang out, as much as we try not to, the four of us couple up and you're sort of left out." Bella shrugged. "So, we just thought that maybe sometime we could set you up or something."

"Yeah," Lily said, suddenly feeling very brave, "There's like, _tons_ of girls at the restaurant who could use someone—I mean, some_thing_ to do on an empty Saturday night." She motioned to Remus with a brief laugh. "And seeing as you're available…"

Remus smiled kindly. "Thanks, but I'm not."

The girls looked at each other, confused, and ran to stop Remus when he walked away.

Bella laughed nervously. "You're, uh… you're _what_?"

"I'm not available."

Lily touched his arm and looked at him sympathetically. "Aw, sweetie, why not?"

"Yeah, I mean, if you don't want a girlfriend, all you have to do is say so." Bella said.

Remus smiled. "I do. Have a girlfriend."

"_What_?"

His smile grew. "Yeah, she works here at the shop. Why do you think I'm here?"

"Um, because you like _cars_?" Lily asked incredulously.

"So, you're here because you like naked women?" Remus asked, his eyebrows rising.

"No!" Lily exclaimed. "I'm here because _she_," The redhead poked Bella angrily, "Said she thought you were getting lonely and what with your previous feelings for me and all, the whole couple thing might be getting to you."

"Nice thought but no." Remus shook his head. "I'm here because my girlfriend _Tanya_ works on the cars out back and I'm waiting for her to get off her shift so we could go to _Chico's_."

"_Aw_, is that that Mexican place on the corner of--" Lily stopped when Bella whacked her on the shoulder. She turned to the brunette, rubbing her shoulder with a frown. "Owe."

"Shame on you!" Bella exclaimed, poking Remus on the shoulder. "Is that why you're not going to go play with James and Sirius at that stupid three on three game?"

Remus paused and then nodded. "Yep."

"Oh, I don't know if that's such a good idea, Remus." Lily said, making a face. "They were pretty upset about you not telling them soon enough."

He shrugged. "What am I supposed to do? They choose you two over us all of the time."

Lily and Bella glanced at each other.

He continued. "So what if I want to spend some time with Tanya on an event that can be rescheduled? They've committed plenty of offenses against our friendships for the sake of being with you two."

"But is that really the point?" Bella frowned.

"Yeah, I mean, we never knew what you just told us." Lily chimed in. "Now that we know, we can plan things when you guys aren't going to be doing stuff."

"No," Remus shook his head, "They're happy making you two happy. I wouldn't ask that of you guys. But _nothing_ you say right now is going to make me change my mind about hanging out with Tanya on that day."

"Okay."

"Fine." Bella said, folding her arms and staring up at him expectantly.

Remus looked between the two girls and smiled. "You two were really going to try and set me up?"

They shrugged, looking away nonchalantly.

He leaned down, pulling them into a group hug. "You two are so thoughtful."

They rolled their eyes, shifting on their feet, obviously upset about something.

He noticed this. "What? What's wrong?"

"Well," Lily said slowly, "Two things, really."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"One… so you're like, over me now?" Lily asked, trying to sound like she didn't care when she so obviously did. "Completely now?"

Remus smiled and shrugged. "As much as a guy _can_ get over you."

"_Aw_," Lily leaned in and hugged Remus again. "You're so nice."

"Hello?" Bella interrupted them. "Lily, you're forgetting the last thing."

"What?" Lily frowned and Bella gave her a look. "Oh yeah!" She looked up at Remus with a stern look. "Why the hell didn't you tell us you were seeing someone?"

Bella nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that is like, the _first_ thing you should come to us with."

Remus shrugged. "I don't know. I was thinking of telling the guys but then there was that whole basketball game and I _really_ wanted to hang out with Tanya that day. And then with you two, you guys didn't tell me about _your_ new relationships. I had to find out myself."

"Hey!"

"That is no excuse!" Bella exclaimed. "That's like, the cardinal rule among best friends!"

"Yeah, and I didn't tell you guys because we weren't even in a _relationship_." Lily said.

"Looked like it to me…" Bella muttered under her breath.

"The point is," Lily said, completely ignoring Bella and looking up at Remus, "You tell us these things. We're _so_ much better at this than the guys are."

"I don't know…" Remus said, looking away, unsure.

"No, really. She's right." Bella said. "Girls are better at this sort of thing."

"Tell us what's your on mind." Lily insisted.

"Nah…" Remus shook his head.

"No, c'mon, we want to know." Bella said.

Lily pointed at Remus. "What she said."

"Okay…" Remus started slowly. "Okay, so, um, Tanya and I had just gotten back from a date one night and we were just about to, um, start having sex when--"

"No!" Bella exclaimed turning away.

Lily clapped her hands over her ears, following Bella. "_Lalalalalalalalala_."

…

James grinned when he felt Lily's hands massaging their way up his chest. He grabbed a hold of her wrists and pulled her up his body so that she was crouching over him. He swallowed when she leaned down and pressed open-mouthed kisses on his jaw line, his chin, down his neck and on his chest. He could feel himself hardening as the front of her lacy boy shorts rubbed lightly against the material of his jeans. His hands moved their way down her back and then just as she leaned up, he pinched her ass and smiled when she let out a surprised sound.

She looked down at him, smiling gently. "What was that for?"

He shrugged, stretching languidly underneath her. "I'm just happy we get this to ourselves."

"Mm…" She leaned down and tugged at his lower lip with her blunt teeth. "Me too."

He flipped her over and she squealed again before he covered her mouth with his. He felt her legs open wider and he pressed himself into the apex of her thighs, rotating his hips and gaining a throaty moan from the redhead underneath him. His hands worked their way up her soft stomach before cupping her breasts through the lacy material of her bra. One of her hands trailed down to the zipper of his jeans. He leaned up and undid it while Lily helped him push the jeans down over his thighs.

When she saw what he'd done, she threw her head back and laughed.

He stopped and looked down at her, pausing in his actions. "What? Is there something funny down there?"

Lily continued to laugh but leaned up and gave him a quick kiss. "No, _nothing_ is funny down there."

"Then why are you laughing?" He narrowed his eyes.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Going commando, are we?"

He shrugged sheepishly. "I figured if there was a chance we got interrupted, there would be less…"

He trailed off when he saw her smile really big. After a second or two, she burst out into a fit of laughter, unable to contain herself. He stared down at her as her eyes watered with tears from laughing so hard and when it became clear that she couldn't stop anytime soon, he rolled off of her onto his back to stare up at the ceiling. She quickly followed, rolling to lie on top of him, trying to stop laughing.

"Ohmygod," Lily said, shaking her head and digging her face into his shoulder. "I'm _so_ sorry. I shouldn't have… it's just when—when I helped pull your… and when you said…" She stiffened and he could tell she was trying to keep from laughing again. Her whole body began to shake and he rolled his eyes, lying still beneath her. "Ohmygod… okay." She sat up and looked into his eyes. "Okay, I'm not going to laugh anymore."

"I-I don't know. With all of the laughing…" His voice trailed off when he realized he couldn't lie about not being in the mood to have sex.

"Ooh, c'mon, James," She wiggled on top of him and he closed his eyes in pleasure, "Don't tell me that _big_, _hard_ thing pressing against my leg is _lying_."

He swallowed but kept his eyes closed. "It doesn't like you laughing at it."

"I wasn't laughing at _it_." Lily protested. "_C'mon_…I think going commando is… is _convenient_."

He looked up at her doubtfully. "Really?"

"Mmhmm…" Her hand caressed his face and into his hairline. "And I think it's sexy and—and _convenient_."

He fixed her with a dry look. "Yes, we've established that it's convenient."

"So," She smiled at him, hopefully. "Are you ready to have sex now?"

He lifted his hips suggestively, pressing his hard-on into her thigh. "What do you think?"

She smiled, leaned down and kissed him so softly, so sweetly that if he were any sort of sap, his toes would've curled. Their kiss started off slow but intense and it foretold of no laughing or joking in the near future. His hands slid down her back and hooking his thumbs in the opening of her boy shorts, he started to slide them down her thighs. Just before he could get anywhere else---

"James, is Lily in there! Bella forgot her lotion in Lily's bag!"

Lily froze on top of James and swallowed hard.

James, feeling as if karma kicked in rather quickly, smirked up at his girlfriend's frustrated features.

"Now, imagine if you _hadn't_ been laughing, where would we be now?"

…

**A/N:** Hey… this was a very light chapter because next chapter will be very, very important. I rather liked this one for the sake of its light-hearted banter and it really showed the relationships between the main characters. My personal favorite is the relationship between Lily, Remus, and Bella. I had fun writing this one and I hope everyone had fun reading it. Anyone who doesn't read next chapter will really, really regret it, I'm telling you. If you like this story, READ THE NEXT CHAPTER. But in the meantime, review for this one, please?


	19. About Caitlen and Thanksgiving

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Caitlen and Thanksgiving

**Chapter Began:** Friday, September 21, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Sunday, September 23, 2007

**Chapter Published: **Sunday, September 23, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Author's Note:** Wow. It's been a _long_ time now, hasn't it? Apologies for the long wait but I'm kind of a busy person. Just a bit. I'd warned you that one of these updates was going to be like this and apparently, this was the one. I would like to give a shout out, though, to BlueJeanMistress (I updated before October, didn't I?) Thank you for your support. You were part of what inspired me to set aside the itty-bitty time I had to get this chapter out.

To everybody else, this chapter is dedicated to you guys. Thank you for the words of encouragement and your constant support in this story. You're what make writing on this site worthwhile.

Enjoy this chapter!

**Chapter Eighteen: About Caitlen and Thanksgiving**

"_Lily…"_

_The deep voice resonated in the large atrium and she found herself lying on the cold, steel floor, confused on her whereabouts. She allowed her gaze to travel to the tall, dark ceilings well above her lying form. Her eyes swept over the plain, stonewalls that were many feet away and a fleeting thought of climbing up those faraway traps caused her heart to flip about against her chest. _

_One word escaped her lips before her brain was even allowed to process it. "Freedom."_

_As she fought to stand up, icy fingers prevented her escape. Whimpering, she glanced down at the resistance and swallowed the lump forming in her throat. Those familiar, cold fingers wrapped around her ankle, gripping tighter and tighter until surely bruises would appear minutes later. _

"_Please," she begged and in that one-second, the icy fingers pressed until she let out a horrified cry and then it retreated back into the floor. _

_She quickly got to her feet, feeling clumsy but managing the task. _

"_Lily…"_

_Her head whipped to her right but she could see no one. She took small steps, however, in that direction. She didn't realize the tattered jail clothes she wore or the fact that she was barefoot as her paces became quicker and quicker. Narrowing her eyes in determination, her gaze once again sought for an escape from this boring, bare atrium. _

"—_C'mon, baby, let me in."_

_Lily jumped and shifted to her left to see Sirius Black standing there, talking to the wall. She frowned, wondering if he'd gone crazy or something by calling the wall his baby. She wasn't surprised when he turned to her and his eyes darkened a bit. _

"_Oh, it's you." He motioned to the wall. "She won't give me the time of day. I don't know what to do."_

_Her frown deepened. "Who?"_

_He grinned, then, and his eyes lightened up considerably. "You know, Lilikins, you're alright."_

_She stood there, confused, but Sirius didn't explain himself because he turned back to the wall and began talking to it again as if it were talking back. She watched, too mind-boggled, to enjoy with humor the sight of Sirius slowly sauntering closer to the wall and then pressing his whole body up against it and widening his arms around it. _

_She shook her head and continued to walk along the edges of the atrium, remembering her quest to find an exit. There seemed to be none where she put one foot in front of the other. She heard other voices and she quickened her pace. She skidded to a stop and allowed that warmth to envelope her when she saw James and Annette standing there, talking quietly with each other. _

"—_Think the ham is fine." James was saying and he turned his head and winked at Lily. "Really."_

_Annette shook her head. "You don't have to lie."_

"_I'm not lying, ma. I'm serious." He grinned mischievously. _

_Annette suddenly turned to the redhead. "What do you think?"_

_Lily shrugged. "I, uh…"_

"_Oh, honey, it'll be alright. Keep your head held high."_

_She shook her head. "I will."_

_She turned to go but heard Annette say, "Oh, and sweetie?"_

_Lily turned back to the older woman. "Yes, ma'am?"_

_Annette's face seemed to swim in and out of focus as her features began to shift and change. _

_Lily jumped back in horror as Lucius Malfoy stood, wearing the same clothes Annette had been wearing, but his white blonde locks falling across the patterned sweater that used to be Annette's. His presence darkened the whole atrium even more and Lily's heart rate spiked. _

_Lucius's voice drawled on, but he was smirking arrogantly. "Don't lose sight."_

_And Lily watched, terrified, when Lucius turned on a seemingly unaware James and lifted what looked like an axe. All Lily saw was the shadow of the axe as it was lifted high above heads and came down with power to swing—_

…

Lily's eyes opened and she sat up quickly, glancing around.

"—Thought I told you not to speak to me on the drive up." She heard Bella saying in the front seat of James's car.

"Well, seeing as we're almost there--" Sirius started to reason but James, at Lily's left in the backseat, interrupted him.

"How about you _both_ not speak until we get there?"

Lily hugged herself as a chill swept through her and she shivered. This motion caused James to glance down at her and upon seeing that she was awake he smiled slowly. He wrapped an arm around her tighter, pulling her closer to his side as Remus, on her right, pinched her playfully in the ribcage. She provided a weak attempt at smacking his arm before she saw him glance to the front again.

"I don't see why you two even sat in the front with each other anyways." Remus said, frowning. "Especially you, Bella. James and I offered you time away from Sirius."

Bella clucked her tongue before answering slowly. "I wanted to give Sirius the opportunity to apologize."

"Apologize for what? Being _honest_ with you? _Telling_ you up front who was going to come to the Thanksgiving dinner at your parents' house? I already did all of that." Sirius said, his voice rising in frustration.

James leaned forward and with his other hand, smacked Sirius lightly upside the head. "Hey, pay attention to the road."

"I am." Sirius groaned. "Your bloody sister is driving me crazy."

Lily snuggled closer against James and her eyes gazed quietly out of the car window. Slouching low against James's side provided her with the view of the top of the trees as she felt the car winding up and through rural parts of the county. The sun winked at her through the green but she paid no closer attention than idle watch.

She could feel James's fingers drawing lazy circles on her bare arm and the touch itself caused her goose bumps. She remembered earlier that morning when James had been busy in the kitchen, making breakfast for everyone as she tried to figure out what she was going to wear later on that night. She had pulled all of her clothes out of drawers and the closet, placing them carefully on the bed and she'd imagined being greeted by James's mother and father in each of the clothes. She'd matched and mismatched until finally, James had gotten curious as to why it had taken her so long in their bedroom.

She remembered his secret smiles and the way he'd looked away just when she was getting close to understanding the meaning behind the fleeting flash of white. He'd questioned her, asked her why it'd been taking so long. The way he did so unnerved her a bit, like he knew why but he was baiting her for some reason she wasn't ready to recognize yet. Pulling the reasons out of her had been like pulling teeth, she'd been sure, but admitting to James about the level of nervousness she felt at appearing to James's family's mansion as his date, his _girlfriend_, was something she'd been hell bent on not admitting. She'd take on every last motherfucking minion of Lucius's but when asked seemingly simple questions about her feelings on her relationship with James, she clammed up.

He'd finally gotten her answers to his questions and she'd been mildly surprised to see that he hadn't made it awkward afterward. Her reasons were understandable and normal, he'd told her. Most people feel uneasy about meeting their boyfriend or girlfriend's parents. Lily had known that but she'd never thought that _she'd_ meet a guy's parents. She'd never been that kind of girl to any guy.

"You've met my mother before," James had said, frowning at her as they sat on their bed. "You're almost closer to her than _I_ am. I don't--"

"It's different now." She'd interrupted him. "I've never talked to her when I've seen you. I've never sat down with your whole family and ate with you guys."

After practically spelling it out for him, she'd decided to settle on his agreement. She'd let him know, at any time during the dinner that night, if she felt awkward or uncomfortable. They'd excuse themselves and he'd walk with her until her uneasiness went away. It'd sounded reasonable and it'd watered down the flames of her fear of rejection, knowing that James was on her side if anything should go wrong. That sense of security, the feeling that she was a part of a team or partnership, especially with James, caused her to smile every time she'd thought about it that day.

Her calm even lasted through later that morning when Sirius and Bella walked through the door, bickering incessantly, with Remus towing behind them slowly and reluctantly. There'd been one last bout of argument before Bella had stormed out of the living room into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Lily had had no choice but to follow her and after many minutes of convincing Bella that Sirius was not out in the hallway with her, Bella had opened the door to let Lily in.

The nineteen-year-old brunette had looked like a wreck. Her make up had already been smeared with tears; her eyes were red and puffy, and she had a terrible hiccup every time she was about to cry more. Lily had taken several moments to hold Bella as she cried hard against the redhead's shirt before Bella could actually speak.

"Caitlen's coming to Thanksgiving."

Lily had frowned, not recognizing the name but by Bella's expression after her explanation, she knew she _should_ recognize the name. Bella had explained that this Caitlen O'Hara had dated Sirius and when she came back to Los Angeles, she'd taken a bigger interest in James. Lily had kept her expression neutral as her mind raced with questions on why James had never mentioned this Caitlen before. As far as she had known, he'd been seeing Lily when Shauna was still around, or at least showing sexual interest. Where did this Caitlen fit into the picture?

"If she's been interested in James, why are you and Sirius arguing?" Lily had asked, making a mental note about Caitlen and James's relationship. She knew she'd have to do something to figure it out but asking Bella when she was so obviously not up for any long discussions about anyone else's relationships was out of the question.

"Because I found her name on his recent calls list." The brunette had taken a deep breath and sighed slowly. "They'd talked earlier this morning before I'd woken up."

"And what did Sirius say when you asked him about it?"

Bella had looked guilty.

Lily had nodded. "You haven't asked him."

"Well," The other girl started slowly. "I did… after I accused him of going behind my back with other girls."

Lily was sure that Sirius would never sleep with someone else behind his girlfriend's back, especially behind Bella's. Most of the girls Sirius tended to gravitate toward knew that Sirius didn't promise them anything. He never mentioned anything about relationships or dinners unless he was sure that all of the girls he fooled around with knew he was unavailable. In fact, Lily would bet that Sirius had _fought_ off all of the girls he'd normally sleep with in order to remain faithful to James's younger sister.

Lily felt the car stop and heard the passenger car door open and slam.

"Hey, don't slam my car doors!" James called after his sister.

Lily sat up straight and waited for the boys on either side of her to get out of the car. She followed after James and stretched every which way upon placing both feet on the gravel driveway. She felt arms envelope her in an affectionate hug. She allowed her arms to circle around James's neck as she felt him smile against her lips. He pressed a quick kiss on her parted lips before letting her go and moving to help Remus pull their overnight bags out of the trunk of his car.

She hadn't mentioned any of what Bella had revealed to her about Caitlen to James. She wouldn't make the mistake that Bella had made in automatically distrusting her boyfriend. She was sure Bella felt ashamed or guilty, and knew deep down that Sirius would never disrespect her like that but both girls knew the damage had been done. Bella had Potter pride and even though Sirius was innocent on all accounts, an apology or a real explanation on his side would have to be dealt. If not, Lily was sure that both would be going home single the next morning.

As the boys emptied James's trunk of bags and snacks, Lily turned toward the mansion towering in front of her. She'd only seen pictures of this place in Annette's office. The older woman had talked about times when she'd taken her kids when they were little to this place just to visit. It'd been only a year later when Nicolas Potter had presented the keys in front of her for her birthday. This, Annette had revealed to her one day after they'd finished stuffing bags full of toys, had been the older woman's heaven, her ultimate utopia.

Lily could definitely see why. The mansion seemed to stretch up and out endlessly. Tall windows, big French doors, and a pretty large front yard that probably led to an even larger backyard. Lily could barely fathom how much it had cost Mr. Potter to buy the mansion but she imagined some value in the millions.

"Lily?"

Lily glanced to where James stood, waiting for her to join him.

He smiled. "Are you ready?"

She nodded and he motioned for her to follow the group in front of him. Her hands fidgeted as Sirius pushed open the large door. Bella brushed past him with her bags, silently, and Remus followed. Sirius allowed Lily in before him and she slowly entered. Her eyes gazed up at the large chandelier in the front hallway. The floors were an immaculate light brown. She was surprised to see that most of the furniture, the walls, even the large staircase to the left a little ways were made of large, polished logs.

"What do you think?" James whispered against Lily's ear.

She smirked slyly, averting her eyes to his handsome profile. "It's not _bad_."

He grinned boyishly.

…

"—As I understand it, Sirius will be sharing Bella's bedroom with her?" Annette looked questioningly between the four younger people standing in front of her. The older woman had greeted the group at the main hallway and had proceeded to showing them to their bedrooms to get settled until her husband and the O'Hara's joined them for Thanksgiving dinner.

Bella was the first to answer. "Actually, if you just want to put Sirius on the couch in the lounge--"

Sirius quickly interrupted his girlfriend. "Yes, you understood correctly." He smiled forcefully down at the brunette who rolled her eyes and pushed the door open. "Thank you, _sweet_heart, I would've gotten that for you."

The couple walked into the bedroom and Sirius kicked the door shut in the remaining three people's faces. Barely a second later, they could hear Sirius and Bella arguing behind the closed door. Annette cocked her head to the side, opening her mouth in surprise before James guided the two women toward the direction of his bedroom.

"Apparently, they're fighting." James stated.

"You guys are all so grown up, sleeping in the same rooms."

James stopped in front of his bedroom door and turned to his mother. "Mom, I told you if it bothered you, we were comfortable to do boys in one room, girls in another."

Annette leaned against the hallway wall, folding her arms. "Well, your father thought that was a very good idea but I couldn't do that. Bella has decided somehow that Sirius is the man for her and you—well--" Her hand patted Lily's shoulder affectionately before she let her arm fall to her side again. "Some day, you two have to tell me how you happened."

James laughed. "Yeah, some day."

Lily smiled at the older woman, wondering how she managed to seem more amazing than she already did. Annette Potter was, apparently, the strongest, most loyal and compassionate person Lily had ever met. Her priorities were set and somehow, when they didn't work for most mothers who had rich husbands and spoiled children, they worked for her.

Annette pushed herself off the wall, wiping off dust from her sweater. "You're all set for sheets, pillows, and comforters. I washed them earlier with Camilla."

"Thanks. You're the best." James said quickly, his fingers lacing with Lily's.

Annette rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. If you want me to leave quickly, just say so."

James gave his mother a funny look but Lily couldn't just let Annette walk away yet. She unlaced her fingers with James's and walked quickly to catch up with the older woman. "Hey, if you need any help in the kitchen--"

Annette threw her head back and laughed softly, shaking her head. "Oh no. If James's reports are accurate, our best bet is to keep you _away_ from the kitchen."

Lily smiled, looking away. "Well, the offer is still there if you want."

Annette nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

Lily watched Annette walk back down the stairs. She turned toward James who grinned mischievously and motioned to the open door of his bedroom. She slowly walked toward him with a small smile and kept herself from jumping on him when his hands slid slowly around her waist. She tilted her head up and felt his lips cautiously slide over hers. Her arms looped around his neck and she leaned fully against him as he leaned back against the doorframe.

She moaned quietly when his fingers slipped under her blouse. "Mm, this is nice."

He seemed to smile against her lips but before she could feel the pressure of his lips against hers again, a movement interrupted them. They reluctantly disentangled themselves and turned to the intruder of the hall.

"Sorry, guys," Remus muttered. "I was trying to get past you without a sound."

"Looks like you failed." James said dryly but Lily sent him a look and he smiled forcefully. "Well, we were just going in here…"

Lily took James's hand in hers. "See you at dinner, Remus."

…

"This is where you grew up?"

Once they'd entered his bedroom, Lily had been shocked by his view of the backyard.

James shrugged, letting the bags down near a chair by the large windows. "One of the places."

Lily looked shocked. "There's more?"

He sat down on the edge of the bed, his gaze traveling over the bedroom. It'd been at least a year since he'd been back at _this_ mansion. His father set up a few estates for his mother and children to inhabit if they were looking for a vacation or some place to celebrate or party. This happened to be his mother's favorite mansion and seeing as Thanksgiving was one of the two holidays that were her favorite, his father had decided on this place holding the Thanksgiving dinner.

"There's one on the East Coast, but I've never been." James said. "It's more for my parents' anniversaries and vacations."

Lily fingered a flower that she'd picked from the windowsill. "But you've been to all of the others?"

James nodded.

"Which one's _your_ favorite?" Lily asked, coming to sit beside him on his king size bed.

"There's one in San Diego. It's simple but just as beautiful as the rest." He breathed in deeply. "This one's up there on my list, though."

Lily smiled smartly. "Because you have so many to choose from?"

"Hey, it's not my fault my dad invests in real estate." James said defensively. "If he was into cars, I'd have a lot of cars."

Lily didn't say anything to that but instead said quietly, "My dad was interested in that sort of stuff."

"Cars?"

She shook her head. "Real estate."

"How many houses did _you_ have?" He poked her in the side playfully.

"One, but he was always talking about houses all over the country. He said when I starred in big movies; I'd have to buy him this house or that house. He was always thinking huge, always saying I was going to make it large." She shook her head, laughing. "I always thought he was kidding me. Like he was mocking my dreams or something but now—now I look back and wish I'd listened to him more. That way I could take all of the courage and inspiration he tried to give me and use it now."

"You have your memories of the things he said."

Lily shook her head. "It's not the same."

"My mom always told me that once something's said, it becomes memory. It's stuck and no one can tell you different or take that away from you. It means that it's like a bank, all of the things your dad tried to give you through advice. Just dip into that bank until you get as much as you need to keep going."

She smiled at James just as he turned his head again to look out of the window. She thought about how lucky he probably had been as a little boy, playing in the large backyards of his father's mansions. From what she'd heard from Annette's doting, Nicholas Potter was not only one of the richest men on the west coast, but he was a hell of a husband and father to his family. He came home on holidays, he was faithful to his wife, and he spoiled his children even when they were teetering on the edge of their twenties and mid-twenties.

"I wish I'd known you when you were a little boy." She found herself saying.

James smiled cautiously, glancing sideways at her from his spot a foot away. "Why?"

She shrugged. "You must've been adorable."

He leaned back so that he was lying on the bed with his feet still on the floor. "Well, nothing's changed, _really_."

Lily laughed and swatted him on the stomach. "Don't be so smug. I'm sure there were plenty of other adorable boys visiting the house, too."

He rolled on his side to face her. "Not as cute as me though."

"I think you should kiss me now." She said, her voice just above a whisper.

Sometimes, wanting to be close to James snuck up on her so suddenly that she was left breathless in its wake. He made his way inside of her somehow over the last two weeks, more than he'd been a few months ago, and she'd tried to scratch him out for safety but it was no use. James Potter was in her system and she'd need more than a good washing to get him out. She didn't want that though.

She had a second to take a breath before his lips touched hers and his arms pulled her over him so that she straddled his waist. Her breasts were crushed against his chest as he kissed her lazily, his tongue swirling over her bottom and top lips before sweeping in past her teeth to tag her tongue. The kiss was wet but it was what she needed. Her lower body slid down his body so that the apex in her thighs rested against the loose slacks that fell over James's thighs.

It was then that she felt him seem to give her everything in their kiss. He was completely at her mercy, his fingers drawing lazy circles on her back and his lips sliding mindlessly over her left cheek to her neck. She felt the down low throb when he nipped gently at the sensitive spot at her collarbone and her hips jerked against his involuntarily. She could feel his member swell at the action but instead of apologizing or avoiding it, she pressed her hips into him more, sliding against him and creating a much-desired friction.

She rolled her hips as she bit sensuously at his jaw line. His hands slid from her back to her front and he cupped one of her breasts through her blouse and bra. She continued her rolling motion with her hips and smiled in satisfaction when his hips began to join her movements. They kissed passionately and more roughly when the friction increased. She pressed against his palm as she leaned up and rocked her lower body against his more urgently.

"I'm going to need to change my pants after this." James said, gritting his teeth and rocking his hips beneath her.

"Doesn't matter…"

His fingers fumbled with the buttons of her blouse and finally, he was able to open it. "Fuck it." He lifted her entire body off of him, causing her to make a frustrated sound. Clumsily, he shook his pants down his legs and kicked them off. Once he rid himself of his boxer-briefs, he turned to her next to him and lifted her skirt. She lifted her hips helpfully, as he roughly pulled her panties down over her thighs and legs.

He didn't wait to see if she kicked off her panties but he towered over her in the next second. He lifted himself on his elbows and leaned down to nip at her lips as he slid into her wet entrance. They both hissed in pleasure and he wasted no time as they rocked back and forth against each other.

When she came first, her internal muscles clenched around him causing him to fall over the edge. He closed his eyes, his body rolling in pleasure as he leaned down and kissed her passionately. Their hip movements slowed to a stop and they were left to kiss slowly, deliberately. Her fingers threaded in his thick, dark hair as he slowly pulled out of her, planting a gentle, slow open mouthed kiss on her forehead. Reluctantly, though, he rolled away from her and stood up, glancing out of the window.

"Thank you. I think I really needed that." Lily revealed quietly, chewing on her lower lip.

James sent her a curious look.

She didn't add to her statement, though but leaned down off of the bed to pick up her panties. She slowly slid them back on and straightened her outfit so that she looked presentable again. Lily came to stand in front of the windows again as James turned away from them, heading toward the bags near the chair to retrieve new boxer-briefs and pants.

There was a knock at the door. "James? Lily? Mr. Potter and the O'Hara's are here."

James cleared his throat. "Thanks, Moony."

There was a sound of approval and then footsteps walking down the stairs.

James turned to Lily as he pulled out clothes to wear.

She motioned nervously toward the door. "I should probably--"

"If you give me a minute, I'll--" She interrupted him.

"No, I'm fine." She strode toward the door and opened it. She gave a little wave and left.

…

"—Shouldn't have! I get enough—oh, you're just—Bella, how can you take it? Your mother is just the best, now, isn't she?" Lily heard a woman's voice say excitedly.

"Nonsense. I have a dozen of them."

As Lily turned the corner into the main hallway, she saw Bella, Sirius, Remus, and Annette standing with two women and two men pulling their coats and jackets off. One of the men she recognized because he looked like an older image of what James could like in twenty or so years and because she'd seen him weeks ago at the hospital, waiting for results on Annette's conditions. He looked a lot happier though as one of his arms encircled his wife's waist affectionately.

The other three looked very similar, immaculately wealthy and beautiful with only the finest clothes and jewelry. This was probably the O'Hara's and the beautiful brunette slowly, almost sensuously pulling off of coat was probably the Caitlen girl Bella had told her about. Lily searched for a spec of dust or anything dirty on the girl but she was unable to find anything. She swallowed, nervously playing with her hands, as the group seemed to turn toward her, sensing another presence in the room.

"Oh, and this is Lily Evans, a friend of the family." Annette came to stand next to Lily, giving her a reassuring hug.

Lily wished she'd been introduced as James's date, or girlfriend because this Caitlen had barely acknowledged and instead said, "Where's your handsome son, Mrs. Potter?"

Annette seemed to notice a thick air developing and she shrugged, clearing her throat. "I stopped keeping tabs on my kids in the house when they reached seventeen, what can I say? Does anyone care for a drink? Frank, I know you've traveled all of this way. Nick can get some beer for you."

The older man laughed, patting Nicholas on the back roughly. "Ah, your wife is truly godsend. Yes, Annette, I would _love_ to settle down and have a drink." The older adults moved their party into the next room as Frank was then questioning Nick on his business during the past year.

"Remus, how are you?" Caitlen said, sliding her hand into his palm easily.

He smiled. "I'm well, and you, Ms. O'Hara?"

She returned his smile, slyly. "I'm also well."

When her hand retreated, Sirius cleared his throat loudly. "Caitlen."

"Sirius. Seems like you have a new girlfriend, hmm?"

"It seems." Sirius nodded briefly, his eyes darkening.

Bella gave a frustrated sound, brushing past the two and saying, "Don't worry. If you want him, our time is just about up."

"Bella--" Remus walked out after her.

Caitlen looked up at Sirius with an amused expression, one of her eyebrows slowly arching upward. "Looks like she's not a happy girlfriend. Are you treating her poorly, little Padfoot?"

Sirius clenched his jaw and without another word, he walked out of the main hallway.

Lily doubted that Sirius so little as much could tolerate the other brunette. Hopefully, Bella would be able to see that during dinner and their whole couple's spat could be solved before the end of the night. Unfortunately, with everyone walking out, that left the redhead alone with Caitlen who turned her gaze on her.

"And you are?" Caitlen said, with an air of indifference, coolly stated.

Lily cleared her throat nervously. This Caitlen was so perfectly put together and so the opposite of who Lily was. She began to question James's ideal qualities and looks in a girlfriend. "I-I'm Lily. I thought you heard when Annette introduced me."

Caitlen folded her arms, shifting on her feet. "_Please_. I was too busy wondering where her sexy son was to hear a word she had to say."

"Um, actually--" Lily started to say but she was interrupted by Caitlen's hum of approval.

"My god, where did you get those shoes?"

Lily glanced down at her heels. She'd just thrown them on because they matched her blouse. "I--"

"Never mind. How did you get your hair that color? Did you go through Brian's Salon?"

"No, it's--"

"And that gold necklace, my god. What magazine do you read?"

Lily didn't attempt to answer Caitlen's question, sure that if she started to, she would be interrupted. Instead, she settled with shrugging. It wasn't long, though, before Caitlen's gaze fell away from all of the things that had to do with Lily and instead found James, walking down the stairs, whistling quietly to himself. He was about to go into the other room when he skidded to a stop to see the two girls still standing in the hallway.

"There you are."

Lily frowned at Caitlen's sudden change in tone. Her voice almost purred with sex.

"Caitlen." James glanced behind Caitlen, who was already making her way forward toward him, to Lily who shifted awkwardly on her feet. "How are you doing?"

Caitlen wrapped her arms around James's neck slowly and pressed herself intimately against James. He gave her a quick, polite hug but when it appeared that she wasn't ready to let his attention waver from her, he busied his hands by patting her nervously on her shoulders and back. When she started to pull away from him, he sighed in relief.

"I'm very well." Caitlen said, her voice huskier than it had been. "I haven't seen you in a while."

It hit Lily right then where she should've recognized this girl:

"James's answer machine." She suddenly blurted out.

James and Caitlen looked at her, confused and surprised. For a second there, she felt like she'd been intruding on their reunion but then she reminded herself that she was James's girlfriend, that she trusted James.

"That's where I--" Lily tried to explain but found no desire to after she saw the looks that Caitlen _and_ James were giving her.

Caitlen lost interest first and turned to James. "Where have you been? I've left messages--"

"I know," James said quickly. "I've just, uh, been kind of busy."

"My father wanted to meet with you and Sirius last month about potential business positions."

James seemed unsure. "I don't know. Sirius is kind of--"

"I talked to Sirius. He says he needs the money to buy Bella--"

"Still."

Lily was more aware of the fact that Caitlen still had her arms wrapped around James's waist and was leaning closer against him as he held her in his arms than in their actual business conversation. They sounded like they'd known each other for a long time and had gotten quite friendly over the last meeting they must've had. As the time dragged on and it seemed as though they were going to never stop, Lily thought seriously about walking away from them. Curiosity and a disgusting dose of jealousy kept her rooted to her spot and she tried to shake away the nasty feeling of being an intruder. Because dammit, James was _her_ boyfriend!

"Mm, we should talk in private about that business." Caitlen whispered so quietly Lily had to strain to hear.

That was when James practically pushed the brunette away from him. He laughed, running a nervous hand through his hair before pointing to Lily. "You two have met right?"

The two women nodded.

"Great then, uh…" James motioned helplessly toward the room where everyone had gone off. "Shall we?"

Lily nodded and quickly walked ahead of them. She didn't miss the arm James offered her or the fact that Caitlen quickly took advantage of his offered arm. She swallowed, wondering what she was doing there. Obviously, James hadn't told Caitlen that he had a girlfriend and she wondered if he ever would and _obviously_, he was still very attracted to the brunette that seemed to be driving a wedge between his sister and best friend. Lily wouldn't let that jealousy overcome her though. She wouldn't succumb to mistrusting James, not yet.

…

"That was delicious."

The rest of the group nodded.

"James, sweetheart, the adults are going to head out to the veranda. Make sure you leave some food for Camilla and her family." Annette said, patting James on the head as she walked away with her husband and the O'Hara couple.

Sirius stretched in his seat. "I'm full."

Bella swallowed, nodding slowly. "That tends to happen when you eat _four_ seconds."

He gave her a dry look. "I was hungry. Do you not like the way I eat now?"

She pushed herself away from the dinner table. "I _never_ liked the way you ate."

He followed her movements, pushing himself away from the table, irritated. "Hold on a minute. What have I _done_ to you?"

"Nothing. Just… leave me alone." Bella walked out of the dining room into the kitchen but Sirius followed, calling after her.

James turned to look at Remus who now sat by himself on the other side of the table. "What are they on about anyways?"

Remus' eyes ticked to Caitlen before looking at James and shrugging. "What are they _always_ fighting about? Who ever knows?"

Caitlen settled more into her seat next to James. "Well, I think Sirius has it coming to him, whatever it is. He was never the best boyfriend."

"And you would know, right?" Lily said quietly, gazing at the tablecloth and breathing in slowly.

The other girl glanced around James who sat in the middle. "What was that, Billy?"

"Lily." James and Remus corrected simultaneously.

The brunette grinned. "_My_ bad." She frowned. "And what's your connection here again?"

James looked at Caitlen with a dark look. "Actually, I don't think I've introduced you _properly_. Caitlen, this is my _girlfriend_, Lily."

There was a slight pause and light of realization in Caitlen's response. "Girlfriend?"

"Yeah." James said slowly. "Lily and I have been a couple for about a month and a half now."

Caitlen laughed but it ended short. "Wow. Amazing tastes there."

James smiled. "I know."

Lily felt a sudden burden lift from her chest at James's bright smile. Remus laughed and shook his head when Caitlen jerkily stood up from her spot next to James and walked out of the room. Happiness flooded the redhead when James laced his fingers with hers and squeezed tightly before slacking a bit.

"—Through, okay? We're done!"

The three jumped when Sirius stormed out of the kitchen, slamming the door behind him as he strode out of the dining room. Bella ran out as well, screaming and crying after him as she watched him stomp up the stairs angrily. She turned toward the three sitting quietly at the table and let out a howl of emotional hysteria before running up the stairs and slamming one door.

Remus stood up quickly but James halted him.

"Actually, I think we got this one, Moony. You had the first two."

Remus seemed unsure but when Lily stood up as well, nodding in agreement with James, he sighed and shrugged, sitting back down to finish his meal. "Good luck."

…

James knocked on his bedroom door. "C'mon, Bella, let me in."

"Go away!"

James sighed. "Bella, this is my bedroom. You can't lock yourself in my--"

The door opened and Bella attempted to run out as quickly as she could but James caught her on his arm and picked her up as he strode into his bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him. Through Bella's shouts of protest and her beating her fists on his back, he let her down roughly on his bed and locked his door. When she tried to run at him again, he grabbed her wrists and held them tightly.

"Let me go, James!" Bella cried helplessly. "You can't make me!"

"Make you do what?" James questioned, pushing her back roughly. He would never hit a girl but he had no problem roughhousing with his baby sister. He'd done so when they were little and he felt that he reserved the right when they were adults.

"Can't make me listen to you about what a _great_ best friend Sirius is! I won't listen, I won't!"

James sighed. "I'm not in here to brag about what good friends I have and what lousy friends you have."

"Be careful. You're talking about Lily."

James smiled. "She's an exception."

Bella let out frustrated sound before turning to sit on his bed. "Why didn't you tell Lily about your relationship with Caitlen?"

James stared at his sister blankly. "Don't tell me Sirius is suffering for what I've done?"

"No. It's part of it though." Bella replied.

"But that's not why you're upset with him and that's why I'm asking."

"Sirius is difficult." Bella said vaguely.

"You don't say."

"He's difficult to be in a relationship with, I mean." His sister stated in an aggravated tone. "He's been in too many no-strings-attached relationships, even with Lily, that it makes it hard for a girl to be able to trust him. I _want_ to. I want to give him everything but when he's still talking to girls like Caitlen, on his cell phone early in the morning before I wake up, I have to protect myself."

James frowned, confused. "But Sirius has never cheated on you. Sirius has never cheated on _anybody_."

Bella's eyes bore into her brother's. "How do I know that?"

"You never know. All you know is the person you're with and if you think you have problems, you confront them head on. I know, for a _fact_, that Sirius _despises_ Caitlen. He can't stand her. He's also pretty scared of her--" James's voice trailed off when he noticed Bella's doubtful look. "What?"

Bella shook her head. "You don't have to lie. It's enough to say that he doesn't cheat."

"But I'm serious. I mean, that's how Caitlen and I got introduced." James said, determined to shoo any thoughts of Sirius liking Caitlen with even a spec of his being out of Bella's mind. "It was one night and Sirius needed someone to get her off his back."

Bella nodded. "Which leads _me_ to the question about why you never told Lily about Caitlen."

James gazed silently away from his sister's questioning look.

…

"What are you doing in here?"

Lily shrugged, standing in the middle of Bella's old bedroom, hopelessly watching Sirius pack his clothes from the closet. "I don't know. James sent me in here while he was going to talk to Bella."

Sirius shook his head, slowing his actions to a stop. "No. I'm not going to let you try to talk me out of this."

Lily frowned. "Why _don't_ you want to be talked out of leaving her?"

Sirius closed his eyes against the current flow of emotions going through him. "Look, I didn't mean—I just mean that if I was going to be talked into staying, I would want her to do it. Not her new best friend or her brother. Get it?"

Lily nodded slowly, her eyes gazing over Sirius's disheveled appearance. Lily was willing to bet that the dark haired man in front of her loved James's baby sister. She was willing to bet anything on the fact that he would give anything to stay and make up with Bella. But, Lily could tell both of them were very stubborn people and it would take the intervention James believed in to push them toward reconciliation.

"I don't even know why she was upset." Sirius shrugged, hanging his head in defeat.

Lily smiled slowly, sadly for Sirius. He had it bad. "Apparently you were making calls early into the morning to a certain ex-girlfriend?"

Sirius frowned, looking up. "Caitlen? But—but _she_ called _me_. It wasn't even a long conversation. It was just--"

She held up her hand to silence him. "_I_ don't want the details. But maybe she's too embarrassed to ask for them at this point. Which means _you_ need to be the bigger person and address them first."

"Convince her that I'm not hot for Caitlen?" Sirius's frown deepened. "But I thought it was obvious."

"Apparently not to Bella." Lily said.

Sirius seemed to consider that.

…

James tried to hide his smile when Lily closed his bedroom door quietly and turned to him in her spot, unmoving.

"I think they're going to make up very soon." Lily grinned slyly.

James frowned. "A bit disgusting that it's my baby sister but…" His voice trailed off as he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Apparently, he didn't realize that Bella had more insecurities about their relationship than they both thought." Lily said slowly.

James only hummed his reply, wondering when Lily would walk closer to him so he could grab her and pull her on the bed with him. With the lamp as the only source of light in his bedroom, his eyes gazed at the beauty of her soft features in front of him. He wanted very much to pull her into his arms but her expression told him she wanted to talk first.

"How come you didn't tell me about you and Caitlen?" Lily asked so quietly he strained to hear her. "I mean, how come I had to find out from Bella?"

James winced. "Bella told you? You mean when she was all _grr_?"

Lily nodded, slowly walking closer to him. "Yeah, but I'm glad I was told by _someone_."

He shrugged, leaning back on the support of one of his arms on his bed. "I don't know. I guess I thought I wouldn't have to."

"Why not?"

He took a deep breath. "Caitlen's _there_. _You're_ here."

Lily tilted her head to the side as she leaned against the armrest of the chair. He couldn't help but notice the distance she'd created between them; like she was concerned he would leap at her or something. The distance from her bothered him a lot and he stood up to make up for some of that. It didn't help though because Lily leaned back more and placed both of her hands behind her back to play with the fabric of the chair.

"Are you jealous?" James asked, a little harsher than he meant.

Lily didn't flinch, though. She didn't answer right away either but seemed to consider his question carefully. Her bottom slid down to fully sit on the armrest of the chair and she took her time, concentrating on the floor before she answered. "Lionel used to be jealous."

James frowned, wondering what kind of answer was that.

She swallowed and her voice became firmer. "Lucius is always jealous. And Damek and every other guy that I've been with." Her eyes locked with his. "I guess you could say I'm a little _afraid_ of being jealous." She shook her head briefly. "I'm not and I didn't allow myself to be."

"Good." James said, relief washing over him. "Then what's the problem?"

"I have a problem with not being trusted enough for you to confide in about your relationship with Caitlen." She tilted her head, her emerald eyes dancing playfully in the lamplight. She looked gorgeous right then and it was all he could do to keep himself still. "As I'm sure your relationship didn't end up in murder or hideaway."

That last statement stung and he knew it was meant to. She'd been honest about her past relationships. She'd trusted him with that information and he could barely bring himself to have even a conversation about his relationship with Shauna. He sighed, running a hand through his hair and preparing himself to open up to this beautiful, beautiful woman in front of him.

"Caitlen really meant nothing to me." James said slowly, reluctantly. "She was just supposed to be this one night stand as a favor to Sirius."

"Sirius wanted you to fuck her for him?" Lily raised an eyebrow but he shook his head.

"No. He wanted someone to occupy her during a dinner date. It was… our decision to try to take it to the next level." James admitted. "We'd barely gotten all of our clothes off when Bella had called, telling me you'd saved her from that asshole Damek."

Lily nodded in realization. "That night I found her at the Backroom."

James nodded as well. "That was the only and last time Caitlen and I got together. She's been calling, trying to reconnect again but with my mom, the case, and you, I just let her go."

Lily bit on her lower lip.

James advanced on her slowly and she seemed to shift about on her feet until he came to stand directly in front of her. "Lily, there's nothing going on between Caitlen and I. I don't want anything to go on with her because quite honestly, I'm so involved with you right now, it's not even funny."

Lily laughed softly, throwing her head back and shaking her head.

He pressed a finger to her chin and guided her gaze back to his. "I'm serious. Over the last month and a half, you've made me happier than I've been in a long time. I'm so happy to have you here with me right now, walking around and sharing my family with you. I'm just—so involved right now and it would take a lot to get my eyes off of you to even focus on another girl."

He could see the tears forming in Lily's eyes. He wasn't finished, not when she cracked open his control.

"You're amazing, Lily. And you're beautiful, and sexy, and funny, and charming, and shy, and everything I want in a girlfriend. _More_ than that. I'm in love with you. You're gorgeous and smart and--"

Lily held up a hand, looking quite shocked. "Huh?"

James frowned. "What?"

"What did you say?" She asked slowly.

"You're smart and gorgeous."

"No, before that."

"You're everything I want in a girlfriend."

"No, no." Lily seemed nervous now as she chewed on her lower lip. "No, after that."

Realization dawned on James and she nodded slowly, encouraging him to answer. "That I'm in love with you."

Lily let out a surprised whistle and she averted her gaze, her hands automatically coming together to fidget nervously along with her racing heartbeat. "Yeah, that's the one." Tears pooled in her eyes, as she stood up straighter and tilted her head, looking up at him questioningly. "Come again?"

James wondered how they ended up here, at this spot. Obviously, he'd said it to her but by the petrified look in her eyes, it hadn't been what she was expecting to hear. She'd taken his explanation of what he thought about her as a joke and that was probably why she'd laughed. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything, kept his reserve like he'd been doing for the whole day. Now, it was too late though and once the words were spoken, he knew he couldn't deny them. He felt them too strong and true.

"Yeah." He whispered into the silence. "I love you."

…

A/N: That was a lot to write. Nice and long if you want it. Please tell me what you think.


	20. About Shots and the L Word

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Shots and the L Word

**Chapter Began:** Monday, September 24, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Sunday, October 21, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Sunday, October 21, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Author's Note: **Thank you for all of the reviews, I appreciate them.

Shout out to BlueJeanMistress again! This time for your birthday! _Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear BlueJeanMistress, Happy birthday to you!_

**Chapter Nineteen: About Shots and the L Word**

_Recap:_

"_How come you didn't tell me about you and Caitlen?" Lily asked._

"_I guess I thought I wouldn't have to."_

"_Why not?"_

"_There's nothing going on between Caitlen and I. I'm so involved with you right now."_

_Lily laughed. _

"_I'm serious. I'm in love with you."_

_He could see the tears forming in Lily's eyes. "Come again?"_

"_I love you." He whispered._

…

Those words hung in the air like a thick fog settling between two hills in an aleatory valley.

_I love you._

More than that, though—he'd just revealed to her that he was _in_ love with her.

Her thoughts were compressed with possible ways that his statement could've very well been a figment of her imagination. She could've been standing there with him still talking about Caitlen, for all she knew, and her mind could've wandered a bit so as to not develop negative feelings on the _real_ reasons James never told her about Caitlen. The words before that three-word powerful declaration were too strong, too good to be true for any of what followed. And with Lily's track record of dreams, nightmares, and anything of the sort, she could bet that was probably her best option: daydream.

However, if that were true, James's facial expression still confused her. She shifted uncomfortably on her feet as his eyes swept over her face, from her eyes to her lips, from her nose to her chin, and from her hair to her chest which still caged a pounding heart. And the silence that hovered above his waiting mass seemed to thicken with intensity and emotion. The physical evidence of what _could have_ been said was too obvious, too real to ignore and it was in the next five or ten seconds that Lily allowed that shock to wash over her.

"You…" She heard herself start but abruptly stop.

His eyes lightened up a fraction and he nodded quietly.

She played with her hands, fingers on one hand lacing with fingers on the other. "And this part you're serious about?"

He took a deep breath and nodded again.

It wasn't enough for her to take it all in when he just shook his head up and down. "I—s-say it again?"

His eyes darkened and in response, because of her understanding as to what that meant, her heart pounded harder in her chest and she gripped the chair tightly. He took an even closer step to her so that as he stood up taller, confidently, his thighs touched hers and a liquid heat swirled in her lower belly.

"I'm in love with you, Lily."

She closed her eyes then. _He'd really said it._

"Lily, please…"

Her eyes opened again suddenly at the tone in his voice and she tilted her head in wonder at him.

"I know you--" James started but whatever he would have said next, she would have never known because a pounding at his bedroom door came and then Sirius charged in and stopped abruptly when he saw the couple standing close, their bodies touching intimately.

Lily was the first to create space and she looked at Sirius. "What is it?"

Sirius seemed to struggle for words when he looked at the redhead but even then, his dark eyes tore away from her light ones and onto James. "Something terrible has happened. Moody's come all this way to tell us. He's downstairs."

Fear in Lily came quicker than the shock she'd felt seconds prior to Sirius's words and she chanced a glance at James before glancing back at his best friend. However, Sirius had already left the room, apparently in a hurry to hear what Moody would have to say. When she looked at James again and sensed his reluctance to leave their potential situation, she cast him an apologetic glance before walking quickly out of his bedroom to head downstairs.

…

"Earlier today, I received a note on my personal desk at the Headquarters very calmly informing me that Jordan Gakdut has been missing for three days. The note then went on to explain that Jordan, at this present time today, is alive and as well as he can be due to harrowing beatings.

Upon receiving the note, I sent my men out to investigate the case further. It turns out that the informant's note was accurate. Jordan hasn't shown up at work, which many sources have told us is very unlike him, and his mother and sister haven't seen him since last Tuesday. His friends have confirmed that he's been MIA as well.

Our next concern was that--" Moody looked annoyed when he heard a small cough in the corner. "Yes, Mrs. O'Hara?"

"Erm—well, I was just wondering why aren't the _real_ police handling this investigation?"

Moody arched an eyebrow at Annette, shifting on his feet with expectance.

Annette smiled kindly. "Well, Natale, Detective Moody also specializes in cases like ours. We, as a family, didn't want to go through all of the trouble that normal investigations might've had to go through. I assure you, though. Detective Moody is extremely gifted and skillful at what he does."

Nicholas placed a supportive hand on his wife's shoulder. "One of the best, we assure you." He nodded to Moody. "Continue, please."

Moody cleared his throat, his eyes ticking between the Potter couple and the O'Hara couple. As if he gave up on figuring them out, he shook his head and stood up straighter. "As I was saying before I was so nicely interrupted--"

Frank O'Hara glared up at Moody from his seat on the chair. "I hardly think sarcasm is the way to communicate in this crowd, PI. Best keep that to you and yours. You're speaking of the wife of one of the wealthiest men from the East coast who could put you out of business."

Annette stood up suddenly, motioning to Camilla standing quietly in the corner. "Camilla, could you please guide Frank and Natale out to the veranda? They loved it so much earlier and at this time of night, they could star gaze while we handle business in here?"

The kids and Moody watched the exchange between the two couples and how Camilla had been placed awkwardly in the middle of them. Annette's expression was still kind and pleasant but there was in it no room to decline her offer. She expected her guests to comply with her request and seeing no way around it, the O'Hara couple stood up jerkily and awkwardly before following the petite woman out of the guest-sitting room.

Annette turned back to Moody. "I apologize for that. Try one more time."

There was humor and respect glinting in Moody's eyes when he nodded his appreciation to her. "Anyways, our next concern was to focus on the questions 'who' and 'what.'"

"That's right." James cut in for the first time. "Was it a Death Eater who sent you that note or--"

"—Or was it someone from the outside?" Bella asked, nodding to James when she realized they were both on the same page.

Moody shook his head. "That's the trick. We've come up with a situation in which this informant is both."

"Both?" Remus questioned, his eyebrows shooting up, confused.

"Yes. We believe the informant is playing both sides of the field but trying to make his way onto our side. Probably because he feels the Death Eaters are getting close to being caught or sometimes guys who do this chicken out their loyalty on the original side so they swap."

"Or they realize that what they thought they were getting into earlier has turned into something completely different." Lily added quietly, playing with the lines in her hands.

Moody and James locked their gazes on Lily, both with questioning frowns.

Annette rubbed her hands together, shrugging. "Well, shouldn't our questions be a little more specific?"

"In what ways?" Nicholas gave his wife complete attention.

"For starters, was there anyone at the Headquarters who could've seen this informant walk in, place the note on the desk, and walk out? How about surveillance cameras? Have we taken the time to go through those?"

Moody smiled. "We've gone through everyone's roster but unfortunately, there's always been a twenty-minute gap between two shifts in the early A.M processing."

James frowned. "What does that mean?"

Sirius nodded in understanding, still looking at Moody. "It means that there's a pretty large hole in the _supposedly_ twenty-hour watch in Auror Headquarters." He frowned, confused. "It's not shifting?"

Moody nodded. "It _is_ shifting but someone who could recognize _how_ it shifts has been keeping an eye on the Headquarters for nine straight days to figure out its pattern. That idea _is_ knocked. Your next inquiry, Mrs. Potter, is about the surveillance cameras, correct? We have seven cameras and three of them cover from my personal desk to the main desk. When going back through the recording, we found a gap of exactly nine minutes in the taping which means our informant was smart enough to figure out which steps to take in order to avoid a head on shot that could possibly identify him and which camera he had to disconnect in order to freely move about in the vicinity."

Sirius whistled. "That's a smart guy right there."

"So, what does this mean?" Lily asked, looking anxious. "How is all this talk going to get us Jordan back?"

Moody met Lily's eyes. "We're in the process of figuring it out. I do, however, have a bit more valuable information."

Remus sat up. "What is it?"

"Well, the informant was very direct and calm about his approach to giving us what he thought we needed to do our jobs. Fortunately, that included giving us the names of the Death Eaters and a very near approximate location of where they could be holding Jordan." Moody looked like he wanted to smile in satisfaction but the idea that there was still someone in trouble kept him from fully showing his gratification.

"Oh my god, really?" Bella looked shock and when Sirius turned to her with a happy grin of his own, she let out a joyful giggle. "That's so great!"

Sirius turned back to Moody. "Well, who is it? Where are they? Do you think it's the same guys who hurt Mrs. Potter?"

Nicholas hugged his wife as he, too, looked at Moody. "Yes, _please_, tell us."

Moody let his smile widen. He was close to finishing this case. "You kids were on the right track…" Lily glanced up suddenly. "Our informant seemed to rat out Lucius Malfoy. His whereabouts are very close to the campus. Actually, he said it was about a half of a mile off campus."

"And you have men over there already?" Nicholas raised his eyebrows, waiting for an answer.

Moody nodded. "Four of them will keep a lookout for any possible activity. They say it's like a completely different world over there even though it's only a couple of minutes off campus. They don't see where an entrance could be though so--"

Sirius pointed to Lily. "That's okay. We have our very own--"

Bella elbowed Sirius in the ribcage. "Shush."

Annette gave Lily a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "It's okay, Bella. Lily, can you tell Detective Moody anything you might know on the entrance of this place?"

Lily swallowed and shrugged. "I-I—uh, I'm not sure."

Before anyone could argue the point, she quickly stood up and left the room without a word.

There was shocked and confused silence before Sirius turned to Moody and shrugged. "Guess she's a little shy."

…

Lily sighed when she heard footsteps come to a stop just behind her. She couldn't tell who it was by the pounding in her heart as she glanced at the long driveway stretching into the darkness of the night behind trees nor did she exactly know if she wished it was James or not. Too much had passed through her brain for her to process everything all at once so it prioritized itself like it had when she had only known Lucius's world.

"It's hard, isn't it?"

The redhead closed her eyes briefly at the disappointment she felt that the person standing behind her wasn't James. It was Remus. Her good, loyal friend Remus wasn't chained in Lucius's underground hideaway like her good and loyal friend, Jordan. She wondered how long it had been since she'd taken the time to call or stop by to visit Jordan. The last time she'd seen him had been at the Banquet and his warnings voiced in concern for her had rang out clear:

"_Watch out for Lucius tonight, Lil. Don't let him get to you."_

He hadn't known that Lucius was out to get _him_.

"_You'll be seeing me soon. Don't lose sight."_

Lucius had used the phrase that Lily had always jokingly coined as Jordan's Wisdom to her that very same night. But the Banquet had been weeks ago and Jordan had only been gone since last Tuesday. She wondered what Lucius needed Jordan for and the only answer that came to her, as Remus stepped to stand directly beside her, was that he was using her good friend to lure her back to him. The thought made her shiver and hug her arms tightly across her chest.

She was mildly grateful when Remus slipped the jacket he'd brought out with him over her shoulders. She wished James had done that for her and upon that thought, she let out a slow breath to calm her nerves. "What's hard?"

"The decision you have to make." Remus answered simply.

She glanced up at him, confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged. "You're the only one who knows where the exact entrance to Lucius's is. No one's going to make you tell him or her nor do they expect or require that you do. They're not going to be upset because they know your history with Lucius. So it leaves you in a right place to either tell or don't tell."

"I want to get Jordan back, Remus." Lily said, an air of irritation in her voice. She disliked it when Remus got confusing.

"And you want to close this case just as much as everyone in there does?"

Lily stopped. "I'm sorry everyone got pulled into this. Annette wasn't the one being shot at, though."

The words she'd just spoken rang out frighteningly in the night air and she shivered under the jacket, again. Up until that point, she'd contented herself with thinking that it was drunk Death Eaters out on a drive and they got carried away, shot at two people clearing the grass out in front of the Shelter, and was punished the next day for accidentally making headlines and causing private investigators to tail their asses everywhere they went.

It was tonight that confirmed Lily's scary feeling that the drive-by was not just a coincidence but was a targeted attack that failed. Detective Moody was a naïve idiot. The Death Eaters that shot and failed to kill were not alive anymore. Lily knew the ways of the Death Eaters: she'd fooled around with several of them. That crew never bestowed mercy and it was naïve to think that they would start the few months she'd been gone.

"That makes it an even harder decision." Remus said.

She frowned. "What are you on about?"

"Lily, this is your chance to finally get Lucius in jail for everything he's ever done--"

Her blood boiled hot now. "What? You mean if we get him before he runs lower into the ground with his crew and he gets on the stand for murder sentences, I testify against him? You don't know anything, do you?"

"That's not what I--"

She wasn't finished.

"Let me tell you something, Remus. It takes more than just finding the location of the entrance and prancing down there with guns and badges to arrest these people, _including_ Lucius, okay? _Do you understand_? Lucius and everybody in that world are _evil_. Not happy television shows where there's a villain every week but pure _evil_. They _torture_ people.

They don't cry at night. They don't have trouble _sleeping_ at night. It gets them off! I've seen those guys jack off over corpses in the den. I've seen those guys do things that could make you puke and feel sick to your stomach for _weeks_. So, I'm _sorry_ if my first instinct isn't to go running to Moody to tell him where the entrance is!"

"But all of that could--"

"What? _Stop_? For a little while, yeah. Until word got out that a large chunk of the Death Eater population was jailed for life sentences, especially one of their most notorious kingpins on the west coast. Lucius might be locked up but what happens to you and me and everyone in there when other Death Eaters come back for revenge? _Huh_? How the _fuck _are we safe then?"

"I—I don't know." Remus stammered, stunned into silence.

Lily stared up at him before shaking her head and looking away. Her voice was softer this time when she spoke. "Remus, I'm scared that they're after me. I'm scared Jordan's dead and if we go down there--"

Remus pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her and allowing her arms to circle around his middle. He held her close and kissed her forehead before leaning his chin on top of her head. "It's alright."

She looked up at him. "But what if it's not? What if he's dead and it's all my fault?"

"Why would it be? You've been here." Remus tried to reason. No could be sure though.

She sighed and pressed her cheek against his chest, allowing him to hold her.

"James."

Lily looked up when Remus slowly pulled away. It was then she saw James standing behind them that she understood why Remus had said his name. She wiped at her cheeks and hugged the jacket closer to her as she peered over the top of the soft surface to James who looked unsure of what he'd just walked into.

"We were--" Remus started but James interrupted him.

"Thanks, Moony, but I got it from here."

Remus stopped and nodded silently. He left so that Lily and James stood a couple of feet away from each other, staring silently.

"I wished--" She started to say but James quickly closed the gap between them and leaned down, capturing her lips with his in a searing kiss. It ignited fire in her cool center and that heat spread to other parts of her body. Her fingers immediately entangled in his thick, messy hair and she moaned when he nipped, licked, and kissed her like he hadn't tasted her in days. His touches were desperate, making her feel desired and hot.

"James…" Her head rolled to the side as he bent low to sensually taste her neck.

When he spoke, his voice sounded huskier than usual. "I love you."

She froze.

He pulled back and shook his head. "You don't have to say it yet. I think you already do but when you're ready--"

She frowned, hating that he'd just ruined a moment. "James…"

"No, when you're ready, you'll tell me."

She watched, helplessly as he let her go. Her knees might've buckled underneath her and he was going to let her go? She inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. Her eyes followed him, longingly, as he made his way back up the driveway to leave her alone, as that had been her original reason for coming out.

_To be alone._

…

Sirius smiled when he and Bella entered his home the day after Thanksgiving. Today seemed much different to him than yesterday and he was proud of his and Bella's relationship for having survived a difficult situation. He'd honestly believed that Bella would continue to hold her grudge for whatever the reasons and that he would have walked away.

But, as he looked at Bella who switched on a few lamps, he wondered if he would have really gone through with it. Things were changing immensely for him toward her and he was wondering how long it would really take before Bella became indispensable to him. She already was, in a lot of ways for being James's sister, but Sirius was quickly rethinking how much really had to do with James these days when it came to the beautiful brunette.

He watched as she turned to him and smiled.

Her voice was soft when she spoke, such a big difference from her yelling the night before. "What are you thinking about?"

He shrugged, at a loss for real words.

She walked closer to him. "Well, give me at _least_ a ball park range."

His hands slid around to her back. "I'm thinking about us."

Her arms encircled his neck and she stood a little taller. "What about us?"

"You know I'd do anything for you, right, Bella?"

She frowned, confused. "Yeah…"

"And you know how much I love you, right?"

Her frown deepened. "What?"

He grinned broadly, touching his nose to hers. "That's right. I said I love you. Don't you ever forget it."

For a moment, she stared at him before her lips turned upward. "Then you should never forget that I love _you_."

He inhaled and exhaled loudly. "Fine. _Check_: Bella loves me."

Bella laughed and shook her head. "Well, that was random."

He pulled away, looking worried. "I'm not so sure."

The brunette frowned, confused again. "Why? What's wrong?"

His thoughts drifted back to James earlier that morning before they'd made the trip back down to L.A. He'd called Sirius and Remus out of their bedrooms to go for a walk with him and it was very early on in their walk that James revealed that he'd just said he loved Lily to her face. The shock of James's revelation quickly dissipated when Remus shed light on why it wasn't so surprising in the first place. Even after, Sirius's shock wore down rather quickly. His best mate had just told the girl he was with that he was in love with her.

"That's huge!" Bella shrieked, moving her arms about. "That's—oh my god, that's _big_!"

Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "It's also something Lily never reciprocated."

Bella's excitement died down almost immediately. "What?"

Sirius nodded. "Yeah. I mean, it's understandable but it's weighing a lot on James's mind. He's not angry or anything. It's just making him think."

"Well, yeah. James probably always thought that when he told the girl he loved that he loved her; she would just fall into his arms and declare her undying love for him while they lived happily ever after. Unfortunately, this is the real world and it's not in Lily's nature to do sweeping stuff like that. Nor is it in James's." Bella folded her arms.

Sirius's eyes narrowed, feeling protective of his best friend. "Are you saying he should've just kept his mouth shut?"

Bella sighed, exasperated. "No, _silly_. I'm saying both James and Lily live in the real world and if their relationship is going to actually survive, they're going to need to put _real_ expectations on the limits of their emotional affections toward each other."

She shook her head, looking thoughtful. "James is going to need to understand that he's not in love with a girl who's used to good things and that most people from Lily's former world don't know how to deal with a good thing when they have it. What does Lily _really_ know what to do when a man says that he loves her? Say _thanks_? She's confused."

Sirius still felt like he had to defend James's side. "And what does Lily have to learn?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "That's obvious. _She_ needs to learn that she has the real deal with James. I'm sure she knows it somehow. She just needs to trust it and quit being so scared that it's going to go away. Because that stuff, all of that love and everything, only goes away if they go away, if they split from _each other_."

…

When Lily awoke, she expected to feel the warm, silk sheets of James's bed rubbing against her legs as she shifted her body mass toward the warm body wrapped protectively around her. When she awoke, she did _not_ expect to feel the hard surface of the ground beneath her aching form and cold traps wrapped around her ankles and wrists. The lighting was all wrong and Lily could tell that even without opening her eyes. She was usually greeted by natural light with an occasional lamp but the orange glow in her eyelids disturbed her more than it comforted and urged her to wake up.

What urged her to wake up was the horrific yelling just inside the room she lay in. Her eyes opened and just as they did so, fear and panic body-slammed into her gut. A whoosh of emotion choked her and she struggled against the binds holding her against the far wall in Lucius Malfoy's bedroom. Her eyes swiveled to the source of that horrible noise and she inhaled sharply, retreating instinctively at what she saw.

Damek Jacobs was crying uncontrollably, tears, blood, and sweat splashing across the surface of his face. Lucius stood over him, mercilessly, cutting into the darker haired man's face flesh with a sharp dagger that glinted in the lamplights. Damek was also tied up but he was in a standing position, slumped over so that his shoulders were drawn back behind his body almost painfully so. The veins in his head protruded disgustingly out of his head as he yelled again, crying for mercy.

Lily winced and fought the hot tumbles in her stomach so that she wouldn't vomit. Damek was surely a nasty sight and the redhead only briefly wondered what he'd done to deserve such a punishment before a lying form only a few feet away distracted her. Her eyes traveled over the dark brown face of the man she'd wanted to see all morning long. She scooted as far as her shackles allowed toward him and reached her arm out to tap him urgently on his shoulder.

"Jordan." Lily whispered, tapping him a few times. "Jordan."

He moved slightly but didn't answer.

"Jordan, it's me, Lily."

This caused him to lift his arm and meet her gaze with his own. Lily's heart sank low in her stomach at the heart-breaking expression Jordan had on his face. His eyelids were swollen and cut. His lips were bloody and ripped while his cheeks were cut into so deeply that Lily was sure he would always have scars for the rest of his life. His once handsome face looked like a wreck now but it was his eyes, barely seeable through the swollen flesh, which disturbed Lily the most.

Jordan's eyes had always been Lily's favorite thing about him. His eyes were beautiful against his smooth, milk chocolate skin color. Even James's eyes were no match for the colors in Jordan's. Lily had always commented on the beauty of the silver-green in her friend's eyes, had always loved how they sparkled and made her stare a lot. It was Jordan's gift from whoever gave him life that he had that unique attribute. Now, however, there was a dull grey, almost lifeless color in Jordan's eyes that in no way matched the way they used to look.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked but immediately knew that was a stupid question to ask. "We're going to get you out of here, okay?"

Jordan only covered his face again with his arm.

"Jordan." She tried but he didn't move.

Her gaze traveled over his body, which seemed to curl as tight as the bonds would allow it. She could tell that he probably had a lot of broken ribs, a messed up shoulder, a broken wrist, and at least twenty or so deep gashes in his legs. Blood stained his jeans and white undershirt. She could smell faintly, besides the smell of blood and sweat, the less than appealing aroma of urine and cum.

Lily almost cried with the realization that Jordan had undergone Lucius's most humiliating form of torture. The darker-skinned man had probably also suffered racism at the hands of Lucius over the last couple of days for Lucius loved to throw anything and everything at his victims. She couldn't fathom anyone humiliating Jordan but it wasn't too far off to suspect that Lucius would any day.

There were more horrific screams from Damek before complete silence pierced the room. Fearfully, Lily chanced a look over her shoulder to the other man but she saw nothing but Lucius's back turned toward her. Damek probably passed out unconscious. Lucius knew the arts of torturing someone, not by pain but by humiliation. It was evident that he'd done so to Jordan but with Damek, as one of his accomplices, he'd gone for a more physical bout so as to punish than to shame.

"There are," Lucius started slowly causing Lily's gaze to snap on the sight of his back, "two primary purposes I hold your dear friend, Jordan, prisoner."

Lily swallowed.

Lucius turned to Lily then. "The more obvious is that it lured _you_ back onto the darker sides of campus. We've sorely missed you here, Lily. In due time, you'll see why that is."

"Why can't you tell me now?"

"It's not important at this moment. What's important is that you're back." Lucius fixed her with an amused expression. "Chained to the wall, no less, but still _back_."

Lily tilted her head a bit. "Nice touch."

"Damek's last wish." Lucius flashed teeth.

She decided to keep her voice as controlled as possible. "Who is…"

The white-blonde haired man waved his hand dismissively. "Unconscious. Yes, apparently, our cowardly friend has been giving piggy-back rides for nasty little detectives to up information on our organizations."

Lily frowned, confused. Her thoughts drifted back to the piercing blue eyes behind the Death Eater mask she'd seen weeks ago. She allowed the familiarity to sink in and she knew with a frightening shove of realization that Lucius was _lying_. They both knew that Damek was so far gone with Lucius and the life of being a Death Eater that there was no way he was the informant that leaked information to Moody.

"It's too bad, really." Lucius continued. "But that is none of your concern--"

Lily made noise with her shackles. "So, you can take these off, then?"

Lucius threw his head back, letting out a dry laugh. "Lily, Lily, Lily… you know I don't like to let my things go before I play with them."

Her eyes darkened. "And that's all I am to you, isn't it? A play thing?"

Lucius laughed, stepping closer to her. "Oh, you're a bit more than that."

She was doubtful. "Really?"

"Oh, _yes_." His fingers went out to caress her cheek. His cool tips drew lazy circles before tightening on her chin and jerking her head up so that her eyes met his cold gaze. "Why do you think I hadn't disposed of you all of those times you'd disobeyed me?"

She tried not to wince in the pain Lucius was causing her and to maintain a straight face. "I thought it was because you liked me."

"I did." Lucius let her go. "For a while. But unfortunately, the real reasons for my interest have long been overdue."

"And what are those reasons?"

Lily tried not to grimace in disgust when the corners of Lucius's mouth tilted in a most evil, arrogant way.

"You have, in your possession, something of great value." Lucius answered slowly. "You've had it for years and I need it."

"What is it?" Lily asked, her mind racing on the possibilities of what _she_ could have that Lucius _didn't_ have. It seemed highly unlikely. "The only thing I have that you don't have is--"

"—A book." Lucius finished for her and she froze. "Yes, _that_ book, Lily."

She frowned deeply. "But that's just a book of contacts."

"Oh no, it's more than that. It contains names of men who are very important."

"Yeah, if what you're looking for is a _job_." She shook her head. "Lucius, you've been torturing Jordan and Damek, and you have me locked up in chains because of this book? Are you _kidding_ me? This is a joke, right?"

Lucius stopped her inquiries with cold laughter. "Lily, I've taught you better than that. What appears on the surface is never what something turns out to be. Your dear father knew that. That's why he died."

Lily gritted her teeth, wishing she could wrap her hands around Lucius's arrogant face and squeeze. "You know nothing about my father or the way he died. That book was a gift because I wanted to be an actress. That's all."

"Your father was an enemy of my boss." Lucius said quietly.

Lily shook her head. "No…"

"Don't be so naïve, Lily." He sneered at her. "Your father gave you that book of _contacts_ because he was determined that--"

Lily jumped when she heard a gunshot being fired. Her eyes widened when she saw Lucius stumble forward and then collapse. Her eyes gazed to the man holding the gun and she frowned, only seeing the outline of his body. He stepped forward and she noticed that he had a Death Eater mask on but he wasn't wearing the rest of the outfit.

"You--" Lily started to say but the Death Eater shook his head.

"He's not dead."

"Why did you--?"

The Death Eater produced the key to letting her go. He leaned forward and unlocked her shackles. She felt them slide off but she continued to stare at him, wide eyed.

"I'm not who you think I am." He motioned to Jordan on the floor. "I saw you."

Lily frowned. "What?"

"You planned all of this, didn't you?" He looked at her and she could see those blue eyes, those familiar blue eyes that looked straight through her. "You wanted to get caught so you could come down here and save him."

"Who are you then?" She folded her arms across her chest, addressing his previous statement. "If you just shot your boss and unlocked me from being held prisoner, who are you?"

"We need to get him to a hospital."

Lily stopped the Death Eater by placing her hand against his chest to keep him from moving forward. She knew that he could just continue walking but she was curious as to why he seemed to be so affected by her touch. "Answer my question."

"I'm the one with the gun."

"Are you going to shoot me, too?"

He leaned forward, putting pressure on her wrist with the hard wall of his chest. "I've seen and done a lot in the last two years. I wouldn't be surprised if I could."

"Could what?"

"Go through with shooting you." She jumped back when he brought one of his hands up in a swift motion and tugged at his Death Eater mask. It fell away and Lily felt her heart plummet in her chest. She stumbled back a few steps.

"Chelsea--"

He nodded and leaned down, capturing her lips with his before she could say or do anything to stop him. He pressed against her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against him. She made a whiny noise in the back of her throat as she beat against his chest with her fists and pulled at his hair. Deciding that it was enough, he pulled back and stepped away from her.

"This isn't exactly how I planned to tell you again," He shrugged, "but Lily, I'm still alive."

…

**A/N: **Pretty predictable but it had to happen. The next chapter will be an explanation for all of the confusion that is sure to erupt after I publish this on the Internet. It's fine. Ask any and all questions. They're welcomed. They will most likely be explained in the next chapter. Hey, and don't worry too much about Chelsea getting in between Lily and James. _That's for James to worry about. _


	21. About Chelsea and Spare Bedrooms

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Chelsea and Spare Bedrooms

**Chapter Began:** I forgot to add this so I don't know. It was a couple weeks ago.

**Chapter Finished:** Saturday, November 17, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Saturday, November 17, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Author's Note:** Enjoy this chapter!

Also, there are a few things in here that are unrealistic but this is a fake story, so I hope you will forgive me!

**Chapter Twenty: About Chelsea and Spare Bedrooms**

"—Whoa, whoa, say _that_ again?"

Bella narrowed her eyes in frustration at her boyfriend, feeling the sudden urge to smack him upside the head.

Remus stepped in, though. "Sirius, she's repeated it _four_ times for you--"

"—And it _never_ sinks in." Sirius threw his arms up. "The only thing I got is that guy over there speaking to Lily, James, and Moody is--"

"Chelsea!" Bella whispered harshly, trying to keep her voice down as the three of them watched the awkward exchange between James and Chelsea from a distance in the Auror Headquarters lobby. "The guy! The one who everyone thought had been murdered!"

Sirius stared dumbly. "Aren't people who get shot supposed to stay dead?"

"Well, obviously, he faked his own death." Remus answered easily, folding his arms.

"It's not legal, right?" Bella asked, nodding to Chelsea who was trying to put distance between him and James. "He's going to get arrested, isn't he?"

"_Technically_, he's in the custody of the Headquarters, now. He has to comply with all of their rules." Remus explained. "But, seeing as he saved Lily and turned in a kingpin of _the_ only feared gang on the West Coast, I'm thinking Moody's going to let him off on partial charges, maybe all of them if they get what they want from him."

"What makes a guy want to fake his own death?" Sirius wondered aloud as they watched James walk away from Moody, Lily, and Chelsea.

Remus shrugged. "In that kind of world, there could be a _dozen_ possibilities, each one as relevant as the last."

Bella frowned in concern as James joined them. She rubbed his shoulder. "What's going on?"

James sat down on the couch and moved his hand through his hair. "They needed some _privacy_. They said I was a distraction, that I was sulking too much."

Bella smirked knowingly. "_How_ could that possibly be?"

"It's not my fault." James folded his arms stubbornly, fixing his gaze on the floor. "Isn't a guy who gets shot supposed to be dead?"

"James--" Remus warned.

"_That's_ what I said!" Sirius clapped his hands together.

"Sirius." Bella glared at him and then looked at her brother again. "Do you think we'll be able to get anything out of Chelsea about--?"

James shrugged. "Who knows? He's only willing to talk to Lily and Moody about it." He paused, shaking his head. "And the way he looks at Lily, like he knows her more than anyone--"

"Which we all know is not true," Remus said quickly.

"Absolutely." Bella said at once. "Right, Sirius?"

"No, I'm with James on this." Sirius shook his head, glancing at Moody's closed office door and gaining annoyed looks from Remus and Bella. "A guy who fakes his own death and won't tell anyone why? I wouldn't trust him, especially if I were James."

"Well, since we've all benefited from _your_ advice before…" Bella remarked sarcastically.

"James, Lily's with you now." Remus looked concerned. "I think you should keep a cool head with Chelsea around."

"And please, I beg you not to turn into a freaky guy." Bella said, smiling at her brother.

Remus nodded shortly. "Bella's right, James. If Lily thinks we should give Chelsea the benefit of the doubt, then we should trust her judgment."

Sirius patted his best friend on the back, sitting beside James on the couch. "Don't worry, Prongs. _I'm_ on the same page as you."

…

"_What would you like, sweetie?" The bartender asked. _

"_What do you have?" Lily asked, knowing she sounded like an amateur. _

"_She'll have a coke and rum…" A voice said from behind her. _

_Lily turned and saw a man with dark brown hair and attractive blue eyes coming to take a seat next to her, glancing at her with a smirk. "Who the hell are you?"_

_The man looked at the bartender. "—And I'll have the same."_

_The bartender glanced between Lily and the newcomer before nodding and walking away to do his job. _

_Lily glared at the man sitting next to her. "I asked you a--"_

"_Chelsea Kiaz and you are?" He held out his hand smoothly. _

_She disregarded his hand and continued to glare. "None of your goddamned business."_

_Chelsea whistled. "Temper, hmm?"_

_She sent him a sarcastic smile. "It happens when someone assumes that they know what I want."_

_The bartender came back, setting down their drinks. _

_Chelsea took his and stood up. He leaned in closer to Lily, his lips brushing the outer shell of her ear as he spoke. "I was doing you a favor. I'll be expecting something in return."_

_She blushed deep red as she watched him disappear in the crowd. _

…

_Chelsea sighed when he flipped on a switch in his apartment. _

"_You were flirting with her." _

_He turned to see the older man he'd only gotten to know over the last nine months sitting on his favorite chair with a book sprawled about in his lap. _

_Chelsea narrowed his eyes. "You were there?"_

"_She's very pretty, isn't she, Chelsea?" _

_The younger man shrugged. "She's just different."_

"_And you're confused as to why she's purposefully putting herself in harm's way."_

_Chelsea leaned against the small desk in his studio apartment, folding his arms and studying the white haired man in front of him. "I'm confused about a lot of things."_

"_You can't get too close, Chelsea." _

"_I'm not." _

"_Not in accordance to Severus--"_

"_You had _Snape_ tracking me?" The younger man scoffed. "I thought you didn't want him anywhere near--"_

"_If something were to go wrong, if someone were to suspect you, I would need to know about it. You can't have all eyes, Chelsea. Not if you desire what I desire."_

"_I'm still not too clear about all of this. You come to me nine months ago, load all of this war shit on me, and expect me to--" The older man cut Chelsea off. The worst part was that Chelsea always felt useless, not in control when he did that. _

"_I need to know that you will not jeopardize this mission, the task I have set ahead for you. It's very important…" _

"_I gave you my word." Chelsea said, clenching his jaw. _

_The older man nodded briefly. "And now I need your action."_

…

"_Stalking really isn't a turn on for girls…"_

_Chelsea smirked when he saw the redhead turn to face him. They were alone in an alleyway. _

"_What the hell are you doing following me?" Her emerald eyes blazed with anger. _

_He shrugged, nonchalantly. "I saw you walking."_

_She frowned, narrowing her eyes. "From where?"_

_He smiled, slowly approaching her and he couldn't help but notice that she tensed. He'd watched her for a couple of weeks and since their first encounter at the bar, he'd been careful to stay out of her sight. It was hard but he'd been able to track all of her usual hangouts and parties. It sickened him, the places and people she surrounded herself with, but he was told he couldn't interfere. This was just a setback. He wouldn't hear the end of it, after. _

"_Um, from your house…" He looked at her, guilty. _

"_I could have you arrested." She gritted her teeth. _

"_You could." He shrugged. "But, with all of the drugs you carry on your person and the illegal parties you've been spotted at…"_

"_How do you know about…?" _

"_It doesn't matter."_

"_Then why are you following me?" She tilted her head up. _

"_You owe me."_

_She frowned. "What?"_

"_I bought you a drink a while back." He gave her a half smile. "I said I expected something in return. I want it now."_

…

"_And your middle name?" _

_Lily smiled, shaking her head and looking down. "I can't—I'm too embarrassed."_

_Chelsea laughed. "It can't be any worse than Muriel."_

"_You're right." She shook her head again and locked gazes with him. "It can't be."_

_He flicked her ear lightly with his forefinger. "I was honest and now it's your turn."_

_Lily didn't answer but stared down at her half empty bowl of ice cream. "I think I'm full."_

_He frowned, glancing into her bowl. "You've barely touched anything. Eat a little more."_

"_I can't. My stomach is going to explode." She frowned, rubbing her abdomen. _

"_You look like you haven't eaten in days." He studied her carefully. He knew she hadn't and he was curious to see if she would share that information with him. Part of him knew she never would. There was a certain pride and dignity in this girl that he couldn't quite place. It was enough to make him lie on his bed at night in wonder. _

_She chanced a sideways glance at him, worried. _

_He frowned, concerned. "What?"_

"_What did you just say?" _

"_I said you look like you haven't eaten in days." He looked into her gorgeous green eyes. _

"_Chelsea…" She stood up from her spot at his kitchen table. "This is—this is too much right now."_

"_What is?" He stood up as well. _

"_I know what you do." She said, looking up at him as he came to stand directly in front of her. _

"_What?"_

"_I know that you watch me. All of the time." She began to tremble. "Even when I know it's impossible that you can all of the time. I know you do. Somehow."_

_He couldn't deny it. He was taught to, trained to, but looking into her eyes and standing so close to her, he couldn't lie. "Lily, why do you go back to Lucius? Lionel?"_

_She froze. _

"_You're better than both of them." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Better than me."_

_Her eyes softened. "Can I tell you something? Something I haven't even—something I haven't shared with anyone?"_

_He breathed in deeply, his mind racing. His heartbeat accelerated. This was his reason for getting as close to her as he had. This was his sole purpose, he was sure of it. But he was scared. "Sure, what is it?"_

_She smiled. "I have this—this book."_

_He tensed at the word. It was. _

"_It has this list of names. Something my dad always wanted me to have but only gave it to me just before they took me away from him." She paused, breathing in deeply. "They're famous, too, Chelsea."_

_He knew that. _

"_Anyways, when the time is right, I'm going to contact them. And I'm going to go act like I've always wanted." She seemed to stress over the last part of what she wanted to say. "Do you—do you, maybe, want to come, um, with me? Maybe?"_

_He looked at her. _

…

"_I'm telling you that you were right. She has it and she showed me." _

_The older man sighed, rubbing his temple. "Chelsea, would you sit down?"_

"_She asked me to go with her." _

"_You know--" _

"_I know!" He shoved the books off his desk in unbridled anger. _

"_Chelsea, it's necessary for you at this point to keep a level head." The older man advised, calmly. "I think it's time that I tell you."_

_Chelsea paused. "Tell me what?"_

"_Miss Evans' book, it has a name. The Book of Six, named cleverly by a small group of ambitious young men striving to get up from underneath their fathers' strangling hold and to make a name for themselves on their own. Without their father's help." _

_Chelsea shook his head, confused. "Du--"_

"_Miss Evans knows the Book of Six as the only possession she has left of her father and a guide to a world of fame and fortune." The older man paused and swallowed calmly. "And it was that, but unfortunately, is not anymore. The names are long outdated. The only use the Book of Six holds at this time are names and numbers of people able to sneak in keys to provide the underground with endless supplies of drugs."_

"_Why is this important?"_

"_Miss Evans is in danger, Chelsea." The other man scratched his beard thoughtfully. "She has very dangerous men plotting to rob her. And you've faked it long enough to know that a woman who gets robbed in this world stands little chance at survival."_

"_What can we do? What can I do?"_

_The other man stood up slowly. "It is obvious that you harbor feelings for Miss Evans and before long, your feelings will have clouded our original plan. I plan to remove you from the mission temporarily and place you under the watch of Severus."_

_Chelsea made a loud sound of disgust. "I strongly dislike--"_

"_You will have no choice, Chelsea." The other man waved his hand dismissively. "The way in which I plan to pull you out of this mission is definitive. There is no coming back."_

_Chelsea followed his mentor. "And what is that?"_

"_Death, Chelsea." There was a pause. "You will die."_

…

"_Severus has told me the news. You have been initiated as one of them as we planned."_

_Chelsea nodded briefly. _

"_And there were no problems that arose of your supposed demise?"_

_Chelsea shook his head. _

"_Good. Then, Riddle is more desperate than I suspected."_

"_How is she?" He had to know. _

_The older man paused. "She is hurting. You meant a lot to her, Chelsea. She'll never forget you."_

"_She needs someone."_

"_I agree."_

…

"_Riddle recruited Malfoy, just as you thought." Chelsea reported. _

"_And is he upset that Malfoy hasn't fulfilled his task?"_

"_Furious." Chelsea answered. "Riddle has ordered an attack on—on Lily for tonight, at the Shelter."_

"_Very well."_

_The younger man shrugged, helplessly. "Are we not to interfere?"_

"_If the Order of Phoenix interferes, Riddle and the Death Eaters will know that someone was informed in advance. A little digging into backgrounds and the answer will lead straight to you. I do not wish for a revelation, Chelsea. It is best we only watch."_

"_And what?" Chelsea asked, anger boiling in him. "Hope the bullets don't kill Lily?"_

"_Hope, Chelsea, is the strongest form of prayer."_

"_Still, you're playing with fire, old man."_

"_If you wish for revelation, go then." There was no movement. "The drive by will not be the killer. Riddle is cleverer than that. It's a scare. But luckily, I am no fool. The drive by will scare Lily, true, but it will propel the Potters who are closer to her to initiate an investigation. I have a dear friend in the PI business. We will be able to man handle the results from there."_

"_How do you know all of this?" Chelsea wondered. _

_The older man simply shrugged. "I guess."_

…

"_You interrupted--"_

"_She was about to find out who you were, Chelsea. Severus had to--"_

"_I wouldn't have let her pull my mask off or something!" Chelsea shouted, throwing his arms about. "And besides, what is Snape still doing near the case? He got caught last time!"_

"_Chelsea, calm down."_

"_No!" He didn't feel like calming down, he felt like shouting. "I'm tired of pretending I'm dead. I hate seeing Riddle up close and not being able to do anything about it. Same with Lily! You know, she's with that stuck up Potter fool, right?"_

_The older man looked contemplative. "I am aware…"_

"_They don't belong together! They don't…" _

"_Chelsea, it is imperative that you not do anything rash. We are so very close."_

"_You keep saying that but I don't see it."_

"_Very well." There was a pause. "Kingsley has informed me that Riddle has ordered Lucius Malfoy to kidnap Jordan Gakdut during Thanksgiving. He hopes that it will lure Miss Evans away from the Potters long enough for Damek to snatch her. If you wish, it is close enough to the time where you can reveal yourself alive to the public again."_

"_And then what?"_

"_We expand our team, Chelsea."_

…

Moody stared at Chelsea for a long minute, taking in all of the information and situation laid out in front of them.

Moody cleared his throat. "You've left out gaping holes."

Chelsea rolled his eyes and answered, "I told you all that matters."

"Except for names and details." Moody leaned in closer to Chelsea, gritting his teeth. "I hate liars, Chelsea."

"I'm not lying." He glanced between Moody and Lily before settling his gaze on Moody's and holding it. "Severus Snape was already a Death Eater when Du—when our mentor went to him to ask for help."

"And you expect us to just believe that a Death Eater dropped all of his stuff to follow an old man whose best case scenarios were guesses?" Moody asked, incredulously. "This is all a load of bullshit, Chelsea. Don't feed me B.S. What was this old man's name?"

"I can't tell you that."

Moody laughed. "Why did Lucius kidnap Lily? How did he?"

"Lily went to them. Damek attacked her, drugged her, and she passed out." He seemed careful not to look at the redhead just then. "Malfoy kidnapped her because she has the Book of Six. His boss, Riddle, wants it."

"So why not steal it from her?"

Chelsea shook his head. "They don't know where it is."

"Why does this book matter?"

"It has names. Most of the names are outdated but the ones that count, if you know who you're looking for, can get you keys imported into the States. The more keys, the more power and pull you have in the underground."

"Seems a little common for a dangerous kingpin like Riddle." Moody said off-handedly.

"It's not." Chelsea answered. "The Death Eaters' influence in the underground world is quickly taking over. Their brutality and greed are much less preferred than the underground's usual petty crimes and illegal raves. You're almost talking about the Mob or the KKK when you talk about the Death Eaters."

"And some mysterious old man came to you to get close to Lily?"

"I was studying criminology. Top in my class." Chelsea said quietly. "I was interested."

"And you faked your own death when you got too close?" Moody asked, narrowing his eyes.

Chelsea nodded briefly.

"And it was you who kept contacting us?"

Chelsea nodded again.

Moody leaned in closer. "Faking your own death, associating with a well known kingpin, and probably a whole load of other shit you've done while wearing the Death Eater mask is what you're up against so you better comply with all of our rules and do exactly as I say, you hear me?"

There was silence.

"But because you've been polite so far, I'm going to take you out of these cuffs. You go anywhere without our consent, we send you straight to the feds. Understand?"

Chelsea nodded and lifted his wrists as far as they could go. Moody unlocked the cuffs and they fell away from the younger man's wrists. He exhaled slowly.

"Now, you're in a lot of danger. It's almost crucial that you do nothing without informing us first." Moody said quietly. "And I'm assuming that you have a place to stay?"

The younger man shook his head. "I attacked Lucius Malfoy and now he's been arrested and sits in jail awaiting answers. His minions will know it was me who attacked him and will have already informed Riddle of my involvement with the investigation. Before today, Riddle suspected Damek's betrayal. Now, there will be no doubt."

"Is that your long way of saying that you don't have a place to stay?" Moody asked, dryly.

Chelsea nodded briefly.

Moody rolled his eyes and for the first time, he settled his gaze on Lily, who sat in the chair next to Chelsea, staring at her twisting hands. He realized then how nervous she was and just as he opened his mouth to address her, she looked up at him with a determined blaze in her eyes.

"Detective Moody, I think we have a place for him to stay. Just until you find a safe-house, or something." Her voice trembled slightly with uncertainty but the look she had upon features let Moody know that she was serious and adamant on her next suggestion.

Moody humored her. "And where will that be, Miss Evans?"

"Well," she began slowly, her eyes quickly glancing at Chelsea and looking away just as suddenly, "if you give me a moment or two with James, I could try to persuade him to allow Chelsea to stay in the extra bedroom in our apartment."

She didn't miss the sharp intake of breath from the strange man sitting beside her at the mention of sharing an apartment with her boyfriend. An image suddenly appeared in her mind of the moment just before he leaned down to kiss her passionately and she remembered the feelings of shock and betrayal that sprung to life within her stomach. She shoved those reemerging thoughts out of her mind and she focused on gazing at Moody with a confidence she didn't feel on her insides.

"I'm sure Chelsea doesn't cause a threat now, as he did save me from a sick kind of torture at the hands of Lucius Malfoy." Lily added quickly, although she was sure that if Moody were to make his decision, he would think the last statement was irrelevant and disregard it. Of course Chelsea Kiaz posed a threat, whether criminally or personally.

Moody shook his head. "That won't be necessary, Miss Evans. I'm sure--"

"I insist." Lily interrupted firmly, causing Moody to close his mouth. "Although Lucius has undoubtedly informed Riddle that I am staying with James, I'm certain Mr. Potter has seen to it that no one knows the exact location to where his children live, save Bella who lives on campus. James's apartment is secure. And if it's not," she glanced at Chelsea again who seemed equally surprised by her boldness with the private investigator, "then I'm sure you will provide special services to make sure his apartment is safe and secure."

Moody regarded the young woman sitting in front of him carefully, wondering if she was as dangerous as Chelsea Kiaz.

…

James stood up quickly when he saw Lily step out of Moody's office alone. He watched as she quietly closed the door behind her and turned. He was only vaguely aware that his sister and friends watched the redhead approach them in the lobby. She looked tired and sad, and he mentally cursed Chelsea Kiaz for causing her those emotions.

He remembered coming home with her earlier, and wanting to gather her in his arms to comfort her. She only said that she wanted to go for a walk. It was only a few hours later when he received a phone call from the Auror Headquarters that Lily was missing but that the informant had contacted them, letting them know exactly where she was being held that he began to get really nervous. And then, all at once, he was relieved again because they found her and some mysterious man had saved her. And then, they found out who the informant was, and everything began to go down hill from there for James.

"How are you guys doing in there?" Bella asked as Lily came to stand in front of James.

He wanted to reach out and take her in his arms. He didn't want his sister or his friends to ask her a lot of questions.

Lily shrugged. "It's difficult sorting out the story but he's cooperating."

"I just can't believe the guy faked his own death." Sirius muttered and received an annoyed punch from Bella.

Remus fixed his concerned gaze on Lily. "How are you holding up?"

Lily glanced up at James and tried to smile but failed. She shrugged again, looking away from her boyfriend. "I could use a whole lot of sleep right now." She paused and gazed at James again. "Can I—can I talk to you for a minute? In private?"

James nodded and followed as Lily led him away from the lobby and down a narrow hallway. She stopped just before a door and turned slowly to face him. The tired smile slid away from her facial features and she sighed heavily, running a hand through her red tresses. He clenched his jaw to keep from touching it.

"I'm so sorry."

He looked into her eyes, confused suddenly. "Why are you sorry?"

She shook her head, shrugging carelessly. "For everything. For going to the campus and looking for trouble. I just needed to know that Jordan was okay."

James tried to smile to reassure her. "Hey, everything is fine right now. You're safe. He's safe. We caught Malfoy and Moody's working on the informant."

She looked at him suddenly when he finished the last word. He knew she would figure out that he refused to acknowledge Chelsea's name. As far as he was concerned, Chelsea was still the informant, nothing more. But, he was also curious and suspicious and angry all at once. He knew she would be able to realize that.

He smiled and said playfully, "So, you brought me down a sketchy hallway to apologize for something that isn't your fault? Really?"

She inhaled deeply. "No, I—I needed to ask a favor of you. Please."

"What is it?"

She seemed to have difficulty answering right away. "I—I was wondering if Chelsea could stay in the spare bedroom at the apartment. I mean, he has virtually no place to go and if he goes back to his apartment, he could be killed. Really, this time. Now that he's revealed himself to the investigation, it would be dangerous for him to return back to similar locations. And Moody wasn't able to come up with a place right away and--"

Jealousy flared to life in James's stomach as his girlfriend stood in front of him trying to persuade him to lend his spare bedroom in his apartment to the guy that she almost fell in love with two years ago. Part of him was diplomatic enough to keep his facial expressions neutral but the ugly thing inside him that erupted when Lily revealed that the informant was Chelsea Kiaz reared its head and started its poison in his blood.

"—And Moody has even agreed to have investigators stake out across the street. Chelsea will have an ankle bracelet that will track his every movement. It'll just be until Moody can get him into a safe-house." Lily's eyes pleaded with James to understand and to accept. "Please, James? As a favor to me?"

James took a long deep breath, his mind racing with all sorts of things to say to that. Instead, though, he smiled tightly and nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess. I mean--"

She smiled widely for the first time that day and leaned up, cutting his sentence off with a kiss. What she intended as a simple, thankful gesture, he took greedily and turned it into a passionate kiss. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against the full length of his body. His tongue ran along the entrance of her mouth and she moaned, granting him access.

He growled in satisfaction when she walked him backward so that his back hit the wall and she pressed into him intimately. Their thighs entwined as her hands massaged and tangled their way through his thick, dark hair. Their kiss became hotter and more x-rated than it should have been when their tongues began to duel wetly and wildly. His erection grew larger and he shoved it into the juncture of her thighs, causing her to moan deeply in the back of her throat.

His lips, tongue, and teeth traveled across her face to the crook of her neck and shoulder. Her hands held his head firmly as he began to rock his erection against her. She responded whole-heartedly, throwing a leg over his thigh and moaning his name through parted lips. Their lips met again as he slammed her against the opposite wall, thrusting wildly against her.

"James…" Her voice sounded like a plea.

"Lily, I can't stop," James answered, rocking still. "I need you."

She moaned in satisfaction at his admission. "I know. Me too."

As much as he wanted to continue, he knew that his sister and friends were only yards away and taking Lily in the hallway, although tempting, was inappropriate. He reluctantly pulled away and released her just as she slid down the wall so that her feet were firmly on the floor. He looked at her and loved what he saw: a woman who wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

She patted her hair, nervously. "You think we'll make it?"

James frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, not to start anything all over again, but I can't keep my hands off you."

His hard-on throbbed painfully in his pants and his frown deepened as his expression took on a pained look.

"I don't know about you, but I'm used to being able to have you whenever I want." She motioned to the lobby. "Now we have to be _nice_."

He groaned. "You should go."

She nodded and quickly agreed, "Yeah, I'm going to go—tell Chelsea he has a room."

He watched her walk quickly down the hall and out of sight. He stood there for a long time, taking in deep breaths to calm himself before making his way back into the lobby to where his friends sat, pretending they didn't know what the couple had been doing in the back. He came to stand on the carpet and placed his hands in his pockets.

"You guys can stop pretending, you know." He smiled slowly.

"Do you two ever think about anything besides sex?" Bella groaned.

"She looked pretty frustrated that you lovebirds had to stop, Prongs. Good going." Sirius patted his friend on the knee.

Remus rolled his eyes. "What did she want to talk to you about?"

James's smile wore off. "The inf—Chelsea. He'll be staying at my apartment for a while."

Silence greeted him and it was so much worse than he could have ever imagined. He glanced at Moody's office and could see Chelsea stand up slowly as Lily probably told him that her boyfriend had said yes. He clenched his jaw tightly and dangerously when Chelsea leaned down and gave Lily a hug.

"Breathe, James. Breathe."

…

A/N: It took a while but this is it. Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter should be fun.


	22. About Jealousy and Consideration

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Jealousy and Consideration

**Chapter Began:** Saturday, November 17, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Sunday, November 18, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Monday, November 19, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Author's Note:** Quick update, I know it's amazing, lol. Read it.

**Chapter Twenty-One: About Jealousy and Consideration**

James couldn't stand to see her hand lightly touch Chelsea's arm as she pointed to the red bird flying about in the cage. Lily smiled up at the other man, her green eyes sparkling in pleasure at his company as they walked through the bird sanctuary. The group had agreed to go visit the place because Chelsea and Lily had memories of going when they first met. There was an insider, jokes, and silence when it was brought up and James found himself glancing between Lily, his friends, and the other guy suspiciously.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, purposely slowing his pace to see if any one of his friends would care that he wasn't enjoying himself. He knew he was being juvenile but his friends were acting as though Chelsea _hadn't_ been a part of the Death Eaters gang only two weeks prior to today. He couldn't believe the all-of-a-sudden flip from being careful about the subject of Chelsea to their agreeing to spend the whole day egging Chelsea and Lily's relationship on. He was upset that they were encouraging it instead of supporting _him_.

"James, hurry up!" Bella yelled behind her. "Chels and Lily want to go to the robins cage."

He let out an annoyed sigh as he watched his sister hurry after his girlfriend and the "intruder." Bella was the worst of the bunch. He was only slightly suspicious of what exactly she thought about Chelsea. He had even walked in to hear Lily and Bella having a conversation about the man occupying the other room his apartment. Bella seemed drawn to Chelsea, who he and Sirius coined as a "pretty boy."

The other man had boyish features but could bring no doubts into anyone's minds about his success with women. James wasn't sketchy or anything but he couldn't deny that if the guys were to go out on a boys' night, Chelsea would be stiff competition. He was shorter than James by about three or four inches but taller than any average sized female. He had a certain mysterious quality about him, which James guessed had been the result of being a part of the scariest gang on the west coast.

His blue eyes were intense and reflective. He had the unusual ability to always look deep in thought at all times. Chelsea had a certain swagger about him that showed that he was confident but approachable, sharp but likeable. And if James weren't hell bent on his theory about Chelsea trying to woo Lily back into his life, the taller man would've probably liked him very much. Life wasn't that sweet, though.

"You're sulking again, James."

He glanced up from his slowly walking feet to see Remus and Sirius joining him. He glared. "Well, when your girlfriend turns down your offer for sex, it's kind of hard to get past that."

Sirius gasped. "She did _what_?"

James nodded. "Yeah, last night. I was trying and trying but she kept shrugging me off. Saying she needed to study, that she has midterms, but then next thing I know, she's going to Chelsea's room and asking him if he wants to go down to the restaurant and help her study." He shook his head. "I'm telling you, this Chelsea character is trying something on her. Since he's been around, it's all about him these days."

"I don't think that's acceptable," Sirius said, shaking his head.

Remus looked dubious. "Sirius, remain objective. James doesn't need the doubts in his mind--"

"Are you kidding me, Remus?" Sirius interrupted the lighter haired man. "I think we should be good friends to James and trust his instincts. There's something wrong with this guy."

Remus narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure this has nothing to do with the fact that Bella said Chelsea has class and that he's a gentleman?"

Sirius glared at his friend and said through gritted teeth, "No, it does _not_. I think James has a _real_ problem with him."

"Look, guys," James interrupted, "I don't really want to talk about it. Now, what about a present for Lily getting through her first semester at PAU? Are we still on for later?"

Remus shook his head. "I can't. Tanya's coming in tomorrow and I need to get some things ready around my place for her."

Sirius half-heartedly raised his hand. "I can still go."

"Good. "

…

Lily was frustrated.

To say the _least_.

She lay comfortably on the couch beside her boyfriend, snaking her arms around his neck to pull him close for a kiss but he didn't budge. For the last five minutes, she'd tried wriggling closer against him, suckling and nibbling on his ear, and kissing along his jaw but he sat like stone. Just as she was about to give up her hopes for sex before Chelsea got back from his walk, she quickly came up with an idea and went straight for the thing she desired. Her hands cupped James through his slacks and he jumped up suddenly from the couch, causing Lily to almost fall onto the floor.

She practically growled in frustration. "What the hell was that?"

James fixed his clothes and looked down at her angry expression. "Oh, so _now_ you want it?"

She gritted her teeth and motioned to the situation. "I think that much is obvious. I've been trying to have sex with you for the last _ten_ minutes. What are you, a monk, now?"

"Well, now you know what I've been going through." James answered, stuffing his hands in his pockets and shifting on his feet as he clenched his jaw at the pain of his erection.

She frowned, confused. "What?"

"Yeah," James began, indignantly, "I tried getting you last night but _someone_ had to study."

Lily stared at him for a few silent seconds before she remembered the previous night. "James, I had a midterm today! You know how well I wanted to do on it and you agreed that studying came _first_."

"Yeah, and apparently, Chelsea goes with that plan." James muttered.

Lily rubbed her temples slowly. "Let me get this straight. I'm trying to seduce you, trying to _ease_ that big hard thing in your pants and you're mentioning some other guy? Really? _Now_?"

James licked his lips and for a second, questioned the strength of his argument. "Last night, I tried to have sex with you and instead, you went out with Chelsea."

"Because I was trying to _study_! And he offered earlier yesterday to help me." Lily raised her voice and sat up, placing her feet on the floor and looking up at her boyfriend. He was fucking _too_ sexy right now and it was killing her that they were _talking_ and _not_ having sex. What the hell did Chelsea have to do with _anything_? Who the hell _was_ Chelsea right now when James stood in front of her, looking extremely lickable and enticing?

"What about yesterday morning?" James asked.

Lily groaned. "I was tired. You know I had worked until two yesterday."

"And then you mentioned Chelsea." James pointed out.

She gritted her teeth. "Well, I'm sorry, baby," she cooed too sweetly, "if I didn't think it was appropriate to have sex while someone was in the next room _awake_."

"I woke you up--"

"And I was _still_ tired." She shook her head. "James, this is _ridiculous_. Come over here."

James folded his arms, stubbornly. "It seems like we'll never have sex while this guy's in the apartment."

She clenched her fists tightly. "Not if you don't come over here and fuck me before Chelsea gets back."

James snapped his fingers, completely missing her last statement. "Hey, what if we made him stay at Sirius's until Moody finds him a place to stay?"

Lily gazed at him, a dark shadow cast across her face, and she said softly, "James, you know I can't do that."

"Why not?"

_What the hell is all this about?_

"Because," Lily stood up slowly, careful to keep her eyes from meeting his, "I care too much about _helping_ him."

"Well, he can be helped _away_ from this apartment."

"James--"

"Okay, fine, I get it."

Lily looked up at her boyfriend when she heard a sort of defeated tone in his voice. She frowned as he stared at her without speaking. For two weeks, Chelsea lived with her and James, and for two weeks, she heard warnings from Remus and Bella to make sure that she _really_ wanted Chelsea living at the apartment. And when she was with Chelsea and they were talking one on one, she had no doubt in her mind that she needed him nearby, that she couldn't have him across town. But then, times like these she looked at James and wondered about her reasoning.

"You know what, Lily?"

Lily didn't answer her but bit on her lower lip. She saw that his gaze was drawn to the movement and she tensed, becoming aware of her body the way she always did when she thought there was a possibility that she and James would have sex. Her heartbeat quickened and she enjoyed the feeling of the liquid heat spreading throughout her lower body parts. To her disappointment, though, James's beautiful eyes traveled back up face and settled on her eyes.

"You and Chelsea can have a great time tonight, celebrating your first semester." James shook his head. "Because, I'm trying to understand why my girlfriend only wants to have sex with me or bother with me on that guy's schedule, but I can't seem to come up with an answer. So have a good time tonight, Lily."

She watched him turn and walk out of the apartment. He closed the door harder than usual and Lily closed her eyes, briefly. Maybe this was why Remus and Bella continually warned her? Did James reveal to them something he had not bothered telling her? She slowly sat on the futon and stared at the carpeted floor, trying to understand what had just happened.

And it only took a couple of minutes for Lily to get it.

…

"—Couldn't even deny _anything_. I was waiting for her to say _something_, to say that she realized how she was being and give me an explanation. But, it was like, everything I said was true…"

Sirius shook his head. He pointed through the glass, nudging James. "Hey, what about that one?"

James glared at his best friend. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Yeah, mate, I am." Sirius rolled his eyes. "But since you dragged me to a jewelry store and we look like two blokes shopping for an engagement ring, I'd like to quickly get this over with."

James shook his head. "I don't see her wearing--"

"Listen, Prongs, I know I've been the one lately to support you when you say that Chelsea bloke is out to steal your girlfriend, but the thing is, I think even if he tried, he wouldn't be able to." Sirius said, quietly.

James looked doubtful. "Before he disappeared, they were going to move away together. They were going to--"

Sirius shook his head. "It doesn't matter. None of that matters anymore because where Lily was then and where she is now with you, she's a completely different person, mate."

"Maybe not so much--"

"Trust me, James." Sirius rolled his eyes. "I had her a couple of nice times back in the day and I knew exactly where she was then. She's turned her life around completely, and she might not admit it but I think a huge part of that has to do with you. She wants to be good for you, mate. _She_ wants _you_."

"She doesn't love me, though," James said, miserably, as they continued to walk through the store, glancing every so often in the jewelry cases. "She still hasn't said anything and I've been too paranoid to mention it again."

Sirius shook his head. "Anyone could tell that she's in love with you."

"I doubt it."

"I know it." Sirius said, gruffly. "Lily's with you and she's in love with you, whether she's admitted it or not. Anyone can see the way that girl looks at you, like—like you're all she can see in her future, all she _wants_ in her future, y'know? A bloke would be stupid to throw _that_ away over some jealousy riff."

James narrowed his eyes. "You think I'm being stupid?"

"I think that you need to pick out one of these shiny objects and go home to Lily, Prongs."

…

James sighed in frustration when he pushed his apartment door open. He didn't want to see Lily and Chelsea in the living room or in the kitchen laughing about some inside jokes that they would probably never tell him. He decided, right then and there, that if he had to watch those two touch each other "innocently" or whisper amongst themselves like little five year olds, he would go sleep at Sirius's. He was tired of feeling like he was an intruder in his own home.

When he turned into his living room, he didn't expect what he saw. It was dark except for a dozen candles lit strategically around the room. Lily sat in the middle on a blanket, her hands spread across her lap as she looked up at him, nervously biting on her lower lip. His gaze swept over her attire, a silky nightgown that barely covered any of what it was supposed to.

He swallowed as he pulled off his jacket and came to stand closer. "What is this all about?"

She shifted against her feet underneath her and motioned with her arms. "I—um, I sent Chelsea out with Remus for the night. They shouldn't be back until early tomorrow morning. We have all night."

James's eyebrows shot up, surprised, and he opened his mouth to speak but she held up her hand to silence him. He closed his mouth and leaned against his entertainment center, folding his arms and looking down at the beautiful woman kneeling a few feet in front of him. He was curious about the scene and what she had to say so even when it took her a while to muster the courage to continue, he waited, patiently.

"I'm sorry," she began quietly, "I know I haven't made myself available to you since we found out Chelsea was alive. I know I've been a little—a little neglectful."

James couldn't help himself. "When we got into the car this morning, you sat in the back with Chelsea to make sure he didn't feel left out. When you guys were laughing about something, I asked what it was but you told me that I wouldn't understand."

Lily nodded slowly. "Okay, maybe more than a little--"

"I haven't had sex more than two times since Chelsea's been here." James pointed out, relentlessly.

Lily almost looked like she wanted to smack him but she nodded again, stiffly this time, saying, "Okay, a lot. I've been neglectful a lot--"

James smiled, satisfied. "Good."

"—But I think you're missing the point here." Lily said, causing James to frown.

"What's the point?"

Lily shifted on her knees and he couldn't get over how gorgeous she looked, with the candlelights causing her eyes to flicker and casting shadows across her body. "I feel guilty for what has happened to Chelsea, James. I feel like he wouldn't have gotten into this mess if it hadn't been for me. I feel like I'm the one who's responsible for everything that he's seen and done and even more so now that I'm not a part of that world anymore, and he got stuck in it."

James nodded, starting to feel some relief at hearing Lily talk about Chelsea and having it not be some sort of revelation that she might still have feelings for the guy. Her side seemed reasonable but he still had flames of doubt that he needed her reasoning to water down.

"It just seems to me that if I can help him out of this, I can finally move on with my life."

James glanced down and felt a pang of hurt. "With Chelsea."

He looked up suddenly when she let out a frustrated sound from the back of her throat. She pointed to the spot in front of her and ordered, "Sit."

The emotion in her eyes told him that it wasn't up for debate, so he slid from his leaning position onto the floor and crawled to kneel in front of her so that their knees touched. Jolts of awareness shot through him at their closeness but he knew that she wasn't finished so he held his desires off.

"You don't get it, do you?" Lily asked, her eyes pleading with him to understand. "I don't love Chelsea. I'm not in love with him. Not even a little bit. I don't think I ever could be. There's just too much bad stuff and not enough good, if you know what I mean, okay?"

And that was what he needed to hear, even if she said nothing more. It felt like a burden lifted from his chest but he couldn't help himself. He needed just a little bit more. "Chelsea's a pretty boy, though. It can't be _that_ hard to fall in love with a pretty boy."

Lily smiled for the first time. It was a small, teasing smile as she shook her head. "I don't want a pretty boy. They don't make my heart pound in my chest or my body respond in all the right ways."

James tilted his head, as if he were deep in thought. A smile stole his features. "Really?"

"Mm…" She scooted closer to him. "I'm a different kind of girl, I guess. I like boys with dark messy hair," she flipped her hair behind her and leaned over him, pressing a kiss to his chin, "beautiful hazel eyes," her tongue slid out and trailed along his jaw with her teeth, "you know, rugged, handsome types."

James threw his head back and laughed, sitting on his bottom and stretching his legs out. "So, like, Sirius?"

"Mm mm…" Lily crawled over, straddling his thighs, "Only if his name changes to James Michael Potter."

He closed his eyes when he felt her warm mouth close around his earlobe and felt his blunt teeth tugging. He wrapped his arms around her middle and he pulled her closer to him, enjoying the feeling of her sliding against him on his lap. His hands tugged at the hem of her nightgown and she lifted her arms. He slowly pulled it over her head and tossed it to the side, taking in the beauty of her naked body on top of his body. He gave her a half smile before flipping them over suddenly so that he was on top, situated between her thighs. He quickly shrugged his shirt and jeans off before pressing against her heated center with his throbbing erection.

He leaned down and kissed the valley between her breasts and glanced up curiously when she tugged at his hair. He looked into her hooded eyes and watched as a slow smile crept across her pretty lips.

"I love you, James."

He swallowed past the lump in his throat and felt their heartbeats pounding against each other's chests. Emotion clogged his stomach and he pressed more intimately into her until he slid inside. He lifted and pressed a kiss to her forehead, lingering there as he felt her eyelashes fluttering against his face. He pulled back and he looked at her.

"I love you, Lily."

…

A/N: There, she finally said it. Nothing else matters, lol.

I played to James's jealousy a little bit but it was important for me not to for the very reason that it's so cliché. When another guy comes into the picture, it's always like that but I didn't think it necessary for Lily to fall into that trap. She's dedicated to James all the way. He just has to believe in her 'cause if he doesn't…

Next chapter will be exciting to write, my friends. Good stuff.

Review for this chapter, though, and show me what you thought.


	23. About Celebrations and Suspicions

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Celebrations and Suspicions

**Chapter Began:** Friday, November 23, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Friday, November 23, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Friday, November 23, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Author's Note:** This one came a lot easier. It's one of the chapters I've been looking forward to since about Chapter Eleven or Twelve so this is one of my favorite written ones so far. Thank you for all of the reviews and support I've received on the last few chapters. Thank you so much.

Chapter Twenty-Two: About Celebrations and Suspicions 

Lily smiled contentedly as she walked down the hallway from the bedroom, smelling bacon and scrambled eggs, pancakes and cream of wheat. She heard things being moved around in the kitchen and she made her way around the corner into the small kitchen to see who was doing the cooking.

Her smile widened when she saw James fighting to flip the pancakes while trying also to turn off the timer on the microwave with his foot. She thought about standing there, enjoying the sight of his long limbs stretching in different positions but when she saw that he was about to stub his other toe against the counter, she stepped forward quickly.

"Here, let me get that." Lily pressed the 'off' button and the high-pitched sound stopped.

James glanced down at her with a grateful smile. "Thanks."

She stood on her tip toes and kissed him softly before pulling back and leaning against the stove next to him as he flipped the pancakes and then placed them on the plates. "Good morning."

He winked at her, moving around her to the refrigerator. "It was a pretty good morning, wasn't it?"

She laughed quietly, shaking her head slowly while looking down at her feet. "Yeah. I have to say I've never felt _that_ good about waking up before." She scrunched her nose up, trying to suppress a big grin. "You should wake me up like that more often."

He smirked and pulled out juice cartons before kicking the refrigerator door shut. He placed the cartons on the counter next to the stove and leaned closer to Lily, bracing his hands on either side of her hips on the turned off stove. "I should?"

Her hands slid up the hard wall of his chest and her fingers played with the material of his shirt. "Mmhmm. _I_ think you should."

She narrowed her eyes at him when she saw a mischievous glint in his eyes. When she opened her mouth to question that look, she felt his fingers tickling her sides and stomach. She reacted quickly, trying to swat him away as bouts of laughter escaped her throat. He was relentless, though, as his fingers pressed and poked every inch of her abdomen. She kneeled slightly, trying to grab a hold of his hands and keep them still but he was too quick for her.

"James," She gasped for air as more laughter erupted from her stomach, causing those muscles to ache. "Please, stop it." She tried to move away from him but his body had her trapped and the way he laughed, one of his hands holding her still and the other one assaulting her sides with tickling fingers, she was his for the taking.

"James…"

She leaned heavily against him, helpless to his endless amusement. Through heavy breathing and tangled arms, she managed to firmly place her hands against his chest and push. At first he didn't budge but instead assaulted her more with his tickling which caused her to step forward clumsily, laughing, and step on his feet. He lifted her off the floor and removed her from his foot and placed her down again.

"James, please." She placed her hand against his stomach, trying to put some distance between them. When he didn't move to tickle her again, she looked up at his grinning face and had the biggest, unexplainable urge to ruffle his hair because he looked so adorable and innocent right then. She felt too weak from her laughing, however, and settled for leaning back against the counter and catching her breath.

"We could always wake up to me tickling you." James winked at her, folding his arms across his chest.

She shook her head, staring at a spot on the floor. Her stomach muscles still ached from all the laughing. "Don't ever do that or I'll just have to kick you out of the bed."

He laughed. "Kick me out of the bed?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"But Lilikins, I do believe it is _my_ bed."

She looked up at him and asked suddenly, "What is all of this cooking for?"

"Oh," James glanced around, "Sirius and Bella said they might come over. Plus, I thought it might be kind of nice, you know? You've just finished a couple of your classes for the semester and I thought this could be the early start of our celebration."

She smiled warmly up at him. "Aw, that's so sweet."

He shrugged with a smug grin on his face. "I do what I can."

She leaned up for a short, gentle kiss before she pulled back again. When she looked up to study his face, she found that his eyes were still closed. It reminded her of the mornings she woke up before him to go to work or class and she watched him sleep for a little while. She loved the structure of his face, from his pronounced jaw line to his straight hairline. His dark, thick eyelashes were beautifully curled just right against his face and his long, straight nose and warm, soft lips made it difficult for her to not just want to touch all of the time. He had the kind of lips that could be sensual, pliant, demanding, soft, warm, hard, and intoxicating all in the matter of a few breaths.

She watched him slowly open his eyes and it felt as though her heart started and stopped with the beauty in his eyes. They were hazel, no doubt, but she knew they had many other colors in them as well. Her favorite, though, was when his eyes were almost golden-brown with flecks of green in them. They were soulful and most of the time when James looked at her, _really_ looked at her, she halted on a deep breath and stared back, unblinking, knowing there was something scary in the powerful effect he had on her. This was definitely one of those times.

"I don't know how I didn't come to know you before." James said quietly.

She inhaled deeply. "Things were happening. If you had known me before, we probably wouldn't have gotten as close as this time."

He shook his head, looking serious. "I think we would have."

She smiled sadly. "I wasn't ready, James. I am now. If you knew…"

"I _knew_." James insisted. "I saw you."

"That life seems so far away from now." She shook her head, deep in thought now. "I remember the nights after you offered the spare bedroom—I would wake up shaking, pouring sweat and pacing the length of the floor, going through withdrawals from all the crap I put into my body."

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against him. "How come you never woke me up?"

"I needed to deal with it on my own." Lily said quietly. "There couldn't have been anything that you could do for me."

"I would've figured something out." James answered stubbornly.

She smiled slowly against his chest. She turned her head to breathe in his clean scent before she said, "That's what I like about you."

He leaned his chin against the top of her head, rocking them side-to-side. "What?"

"You're persistent." She answered simply. "And stubborn."

He grinned. "It runs in the family. Bella has it worse than I do."

"_Mmhmm_." Doubt was clearly in her tone of voice.

He took offense. "Hey, I'm definitely not as bad as Bella is." When he looked down to see her smiling still and steadily, he pulled away from her, ignoring her sounds of protest. He folded his arms across his chest. "Are you serious?"

"James, you walked away from me offering my body yesterday because you felt you had been neglected up until the point." Lily said, deciding to humor him for a bit. She really wasn't concerned with his stubborn attribute. On the contrary, she found it adorable.

"_Well_," James started, "I had been. I had to put my foot down, you know."

"_Mmhmm_."

His eyes darkened. "Stop saying that."

"Saying what?"

He motioned with his arms and sarcastically repeated, "_Mmhmm_. It's distracting."

"Aw, why?" She pouted.

He pointed at her dangerously. "And don't do that."

She dropped the act and smirked. "James, I love you."

"Yeah, well…" He trailed off, helplessly.

"Mm mm." She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned up so that her nose was practically touching his nose. "Wrong answer."

He placed his hands on her hips and nibbled her lips before whispering, "I love you."

She let out a sound of approval before nodding. "Right answer."

They kissed gently, not allowing it to get out of control as they had guests coming in a little while. They simply enjoyed the feeling of their lips pressed softly against each other and the sensation of tongues sliding curiously over tongues. When they felt the urgent tug of longing make its way into their bellies, both of them pulled back slowly, their foreheads still touching.

"We're still on for tonight, right?" James asked.

She licked her lips and nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"And we'll have the whole apartment to ourselves, right? No Chelsea?"

She nodded again. "I just have to show him where Sirius's apartment on campus is and if you don't mind picking me up there…"

James pulled back, frowning at her. "What? I thought Remus was going to show him."

She shook her head. "Nope. Remus' girlfriend is in town, remember?"

He groaned when he heard the knocking at the door.

She patted him on the chest in assurance. "It's not going to affect any of our plans. Don't worry. Just showing him to the apartment and then all you have to do is meet me there and we can go on our merry little way."

She walked out of the kitchen before he could say anything. The last thing she wanted was for an argument to erupt on a day she'd woken up so happy.

…

"Wow, you really didn't have to do this."

Bella shrugged and let out an amused laugh before answering, "I was trying to come up with something that I knew no one, especially James, had done for you."

Lily shoved down erotic images of all the things James _had_ done for her that day and instead motioned to the cookies and cream ice cream Bella had gotten for her to celebrate her completing a few classes for the semester. "Well, I have to say, this is probably the furthest thing from James's mind."

The other girl raised her eyebrows. "I bet it is."

Lily laughed, rolling her eyes at the brunette. "Calm down, girl."

"You two seem to be doing _well_." Bella commented slyly. "Sirius and I tried to pretend that we were your guests over for breakfast this morning but it got a little hard when we walked into the kitchen to see you two groping each other like hormonal teenagers."

"_That_ was not supposed to happen." Lily smiled mischievously. "He started this tickling thing this morning and--"

"So, you two _are_ better and that's _all_ I need to know." Bella interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. "What about Chelsea?"

Lily nibbled on one of the Oreo cookie bits. "What about him?"

"_Well_," Bella began, "Last I heard about him was that he was really starting to open up for you again. Is he still sharing?"

Lily nodded. "Yep."

"And James…" Bella encouraged, motioning with her hands impatiently.

"James understands that I'm not in love with Chelsea, that I couldn't be." Lily said simply.

"That's it?"

The redhead shrugged. "What else could there be?"

"James is my brother, true, and I think it's great that the two of you have finally admitted your feelings for one another but—I feel like we're ignoring the obvious here when I say that _Chelsea_ still has feelings for you." Bella said, leaning back against her chair and studying Lily closely. "I mean, okay, you love James and all, but there's got to be _some_ curiosity there."

Lily frowned. "Why?"

"Because the two of you were ready to drive on Hollywood together. _You_ asked him to go with you."

"No, I mean, _why_ do you think he still might have feelings for me?" Lily wondered. "That was two or three years ago, Bella. Things have _definitely_ changed since then."

"You say that a lot but I don't think James was far off when he got into all that jealousy." Bella shook her head.

Lily stared at the brunette. "I can't believe you just said that to me."

Bella rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you honestly think that after, what, two or three years that Chelsea would just forget about you. He was forced to fake his own death because he was falling in love with you! That's not just something you _forget_."

Lily shook her head. "Even so, I would never hurt your brother. I'm in love with him, Bella. You, of most people, should know that."

"I know you wouldn't, sweetie," Bella said softly, "But your denial about the obvious concerns me."

Lily chewed on her lower lip, thinking. Wondering.

…

"She probably thinks he'd be better in bed than me."

James let out a howl of laughter, shaking his head and wiping the dirt from his hands onto his worn jeans. "Okay, okay… you've taken that _too_ far, Padfoot."

"No, I'm _serious_."

James regarded his best friend for a moment before shaking his head. "Sirius, Bella doesn't like Chelsea, okay? She doesn't want him over you and she doesn't dream about him or fantasize about him or whatever. Bella's with you, which should say enough. Right? Isn't that what you told me?"

Sirius nodded, grumpily stabbing the earth beneath them with the pitchfork. "That _was_ before I found out this morning that she finds him good-looking."

James frowned. "When did she say that?"

"Not to me." The other man shook his head. "I heard her with Lily."

James's frown deepened and he stopped doing what he was doing. "What did you say about Lily?"

Sirius seemed to be ignoring him now. "And I guess you've got it worse than I do, mate. Chelsea actually wants _your_ bird."

James clenched his jaw. "Who said that?"

"Come on, mate. It's bloody obvious, the way he looks at her and the tone of his voice when he talks to her." Sirius shook his head. "I'd watch that bloke if I were you, Prongs."

"Weren't you the one telling me that I should back off? That the jealousy thing could possibly scare away the best thing going for me?" James was confused.

"I know I said all that. I still think it, believe me, but being jealous and being suspicious are two _very_ different things. You can have one without the other and still play it safe." Sirius explained. "And I'm telling you, that bloke wants your chippie. And I won't be surprised if he tries to make a pass at her."

"Lily won't go for that, though." James shook his head, a surge of confidence in his girlfriend welling inside him. Lily loved him. Lily was _in_ love with him, she had told him so. "She was very clear about it last night."

"And I'm sure she was sincere." Sirius acknowledged. "But a man is a man, right, Prongs? A man wants, a man plans, a man takes, and then a man has. That's the game."

An image of Chelsea and Lily locked in a passionate embrace blazed through James's mind and the dormant monster in his stomach roared its ugly head. He clenched his jaw and shoved the image down and out of his mind. Lily would never betray him like that. She loved him. She was in love with him and _not_ Chelsea. He was sure of it.

He was sure.

…

"Why are you so quiet?"

Chelsea's voice broke through the deep haze of thoughts in Lily's mind and she glanced up at him quickly, startled. "What?"

He smiled slowly, looking down at his feet as they walked along the quiet, empty path toward Sirius's apartment building ahead on campus. "You just seem like you have a lot on your mind. Anything you want to share?"

Lily shrugged, smiling a little. "Not particularly."

There was silence again before Chelsea glanced up at the sky. "Remember when we used to sneak to the park down the street from your parent's house and we'd play stupid games?"

She grinned. "Which games?"

He sighed, shrugging. "I don't even really remember. We usually made them up."

She shook her head, allowing her memories of those years ago to envelope her. "Yeah, I usually insisted they were made up. It made me feel more like a kid."

They turned and walked up the stairs to the porch of Sirius's apartment.

"You always tried." Chelsea smiled.

She dug into her jeans pocket and pulled out the key.

"You've changed."

She looked up at him, questions in her eyes. "What do you mean?"

He was silent for a few seconds before he stepped closer to her and said, "Well, you know, you're a little bit taller, I suppose." She threw her head back and laughed as he continued with a smug smile, "And I guess you've grown up a bit, I _suppose_."

She shook her head, looking into his eyes meaningfully. "No, really. What do you mean by that? I've changed? In what ways?"

"I don't think—I don't know if I can--"

"Try me."

She swallowed when he locked gazes with her. "Okay, I will."

She tried to ignore the voice in her head sounded that like Bella's and tilted her chin up and swinging her long red hair behind her shoulders. "I'm waiting."

"Before you were just—helpless."

Lily raised a challenging eyebrow. "Helpless?"

"Yeah." Chelsea said. "I mean, you really needed rescuing. You _needed_ someone. Now, you can make it on your own without anyone's help."

Lily shook her head. "I don't think that's true."

Chelsea looked contemplative. "Before you thought you needed a guy, and now, you want the guy, but you don't need him."

She frowned up at him but he continued.

"And before, you were—you were great. And now, you're just—Lily, you're beautiful." His voice sounded deep and coarse to her ears. "You're a hell of a woman, all around. And I regret that we couldn't—that we didn't…"

She stood there, frozen to the spot, as his voice trailed off, helplessly. She averted her gaze and then remembered that they were supposed to be getting inside. She clutched the key in her hand and turned suddenly, her back to Chelsea as she fought to place the key in the lock. She was only partially aware that he continued from where he trailed off.

"I mean, I know you're with James Potter now, but if things—if things were different…"

She gritted her teeth, wiggling the key but the door didn't budge and her patience was slowly becoming an issue. She pushed with all of her strength.

"I know I wouldn't have left you alone and I feel guilty that I did and now, now it seems like it's too late…"

"For fuck's sake!" Lily shouted, pounding the door with her fist and causing Chelsea to stop talking. "The damned door won't fucking open!"

Chelsea stopped her violent motions with her hands and said, "How about I give it a try?"

She glared at him in frustration but stepped aside and allowed him to try and open the door.

He wiggled the doorknob and pushed the door open. He smirked at her. "Guess you had to twist and push."

She smiled sarcastically at him before walking into the apartment ahead of him. She ran a hand through her hair as she turned to see him coming in behind her. She was very confused and she needed things cleared up. "So, what, exactly? Is this your plan or something? Do you want me back? What is this?"

Chelsea stared at her. "I just said that I wish things were different, that if they were…"

She held up a hand to stop him. "No, don't do this, Chels. You _can't_ do this."

"Why not?" Chelsea asked quietly.

"Because." Lily folded her arms across her chest. "It's not fair. To me, to you, to _James_. Nothing good can come out of you saying that."

"And you can't—you can't respond…"

She threw her arms up in the air, helplessly. "What the hell am I supposed to say to that?"

"I don't know." Chelsea shrugged. "Do you regret--?"

"No, I don't." Lily said firmly. "I used to, but not anymore. James, remember?"

"And you really—you're really in love with him, aren't you?"

Lily stopped for a couple of seconds and she nodded slowly. "I really am."

Chelsea was quiet then.

"Chelsea, that doesn't stop the very obvious fact that I still care about you. And after all this is done with the Death Eaters, we can still be friends, yeah?" She paused. "But, I've never felt this way about another person before, _ever_. James makes me feel so—just _so_. And I would be stupid and insane to give that up to see if sparks still fly between me and you because they did, what? Two or three years ago? Chelsea, that's crazy."

Chelsea glanced down at the floor.

"I care about you but I _love_ him, and I'm sorry that I got you into the trouble that you're in. I regret _that_ every day." She paused before saying, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

He stopped her with a hand before she could make it out onto the porch.

She looked up at him with a curious gaze.

He smiled sheepishly. "I got you something—you know, for the congratulations thing."

She laughed, stepping back. "Really? You shouldn't have."

He dug into his jacket before pulling out a small, brown leather book. "This is _my_ book of contacts." He placed it in her hand as she stared down at it. "No Book of Six, none of that. Just filled with powerful, updated names of people who could help you on your acting career. Because, just like your dad, I think Hollywood awaits you."

Tears sprung to her eyes and she smiled, wrapping her fingers around the leather book. The idea was so thoughtful that she didn't even think. She leaned up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her level for a grateful hug. She felt his arms hesitantly wrap around her middle and she giggled as he nuzzled her neck playfully with his nose. She pulled back, tears shining in her eyes, and she was about to say her thanks when she heard a familiar voice.

"Are you sure he's not getting in the middle of us?"

…

A/N: BOOM!

Let me know what you think and review. Everybody that read this chapter, review please. It feels like less and less people are showing their support but I thank the people who continue to.

The next chapter should come just as easily as this one did. It's the chapters following next that may take me a while to write and get out to you guys as quickly as this one. It's challenging since this story is nearing its end, and I've never finished a story on fanfiction before so it'll be new, exciting, and difficult for me. Hopefully, I continue to get the support that I've been getting. Hopefully.

The more support, the more excited I get at finishing this story so give it up, please.


	24. About Flashbacks and Uncertainty

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Flashbacks and Uncertainty

**Chapter Began:** Thursday, November 22, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Friday, November 23, 2007

**Chapter Published:** Saturday, November 24, 2007

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Author's Note:** Oh my gods, thank you all for the reviews and support. I couldn't believe it when I checked my email and 37 people had responded so quickly. It made me smile like nobody's business. First, I said, "Whoa!" Then I was able to really enjoy it. On the regular, I get between 30-50 reviews per chapter but they usually come over the course of a week or two. This time, I got close to 40 people reviewing and critiquing in less than 24 hours. I thank _everyone_ for that support. It means _a lot_.

Lately, I've been writing and publishing because I'm anxious to finish my very first story. I've never done that before so I actually don't know how to slow and pace myself. I've even been a little lazy on getting them out, so I've elected to take a break after this chapter to really plan and write well. Because I'm happier when I write well and you guys really deserve better-written chapters.

To answer questions—this story is nearing its end. It will be Chapter Twenty-Nine but the number fanfiction provides (because there's a prologue) will be 30.

Everyone will see more James/Chelsea than the one I give in this chapter, later in the next few. The point of keeping James and Chelsea interactions out was for this very purpose. I didn't want to overuse Chelsea. If used too much, I feel bored with him and he becomes a cliché to me, more than he already is. So, I want to use him sparingly.

There's no magic because it's an Alternate Universe story. No magic, no Hogwarts, no witches and wizards. Just regular human beings.

And Chelsea might be in love with Lily but I highly doubt it. I think he's just in love with a ghost of who Lily used to be.

There will _not_ be a sequel. After this, no more Runaway Love. I might take a break from fanfiction and then start on my Baby Mama Love story. Who knows.

And to the anonymous reviewer, Lauren, I wouldn't mind having the story re-edited or re-written. I appreciate your willingness to be my beta. Let me get back to you on that so I can give you a definitive answer.

Jordan is fine. He's recovering. Because I have so many plotlines going, I have to pick and choose which ones I want to develop in each chapter. Lately, it's been important for me to develop Lily and James so the action plots have kind of taken a backseat. Everyone will get doses of Jordan, Lucius, and the underground plots very soon. Just not this chapter.

Read on!

**Chapter Twenty-Three: About Flashbacks and Uncertainty **

_Flashback—About Outs and Ins_

"_You just have to decide what kind of guy you are. The realist who sees the kind of girl Evans will always be or the dreamer that sees some kind of girl Evans will _never_ become."_

"_I guess I'm the kind of guy that's a realist," James muttered, shaking his head, "_Especially_ after her show tonight."_

…

"Are you sure he's not getting in the middle of us?"

Lily pushed herself out of Chelsea's arms, glancing at the open doorway to see James standing there, breathing heavily and looking very upset. His hair was sticking in all sorts of directions but it looked like he had tried very hard to tame it without much success. She would have teased him but the angry expression on his face stopped her from commenting on his appearance. She, instead, found herself inhaling and exhaling quickly to keep oxygen in her lungs because James was sending out vibes that was making her lose her breath easily.

"James--" She tried to begin but James held up a hand, frowning between his girlfriend and the other guy who James towered over as he came to stand next to them.

"You know what?" James narrowed his eyes at the shorter man. "I was warned about you at least seven different times--"

"James, nothing happened." Lily said slowly, sensing hostility oozing from her angry boyfriend. She placed a hand on his shoulder but he shrugged her hand off as if it were poison. Blinking away tears of hurt, she continued, "If you come with me, I can explain to you that Chelsea was just--"

James turned his hot gaze on her and she fought the urge to flinch. "—Was just _what_? Feeling up my girlfriend under the guise that he was hugging her? Being a good friend? _What_?" He stepped closer to the quieter man, gritting his teeth, "If I find out you've touched her--"

Chelsea stared at James silently, the only sign that he was affected showing through his quickly rising shoulders. He allowed a small smile to appear across his lips. "You better listen to her, Potter…"

James narrowed his eyes. "Is that a threat?"

"James…"

Chelsea laughed, shrugging. "What are you going to do?"

James took a dangerous step closer to Chelsea as the other man tensed, ready for a fight. "A hell of a lot more than you seem to think I might do. I may not have shot or killed anyone in the past couple of years but I'm still pretty good at bringing my point home clear."

"I believe Lily and I were talking."

James's nostrils flared. "You don't come near her."

Lily tried to step between them but James didn't move. "James, he's not--"

Chelsea snorted, shaking his head and taking his own step closer to James. "I do what I want, Potter."

James snapped and punched Chelsea in the face, causing the shorter man's head to snap to the side before he lifted his own hand and tried to swing at James. The darker-haired man reacted quickly, though, and caught his fist, throwing Chelsea back a few feet. Just before James was about to begin punching the shit out of the pretty-boy, Lily gasped and stepped in front of James, shielding Chelsea with her entire body.

James narrowed his eyes. "You're protecting--"

"No!" Lily exclaimed and exhaled slowly. "James, come outside with me."

James glared at Chelsea who was recovering from his busted lip and bleeding nose.

"_Now_." Lily tugged his arm and after he seemed to decide that it was enough for now, he allowed himself to be pulled by the arm outside. Lily closed the door and turned to James who was pacing angrily back and forth on the porch, like a caged animal. "Are you okay?"

James snarled viciously, still pacing. "I'm fine."

Lily leaned against the door, folding her arms and fixing him with a stern gaze. "Good. Now, can you tell me what the _hell_ was that?"

"What the—what the—can you honestly _ask_ me that?" James sputtered angrily, motioning to himself wildly. "You said you—I believed—and then I walk in to see—you've got to be _kidding_ me, Lily!"

Lily narrowed her eyes. "Okay. How about you speak in full sentences and I actually understand what you're trying to spit out?"

James groaned loudly, pointing to the door behind her. "That guy is in love with you and you're in there with him—what was that?"

"It was nothing!" Lily felt her own anger bubble to the surface. "And you know what I feel? I feel like I don't need to justify that to you because it _was_ nothing! It has absolutely nothing to do with you and how you just acted in there was completely ridiculous _and_ childish!"

"You're leading him on!" James shouted in frustration.

"I—_excuse me_?" Lily frowned deeply up at her pacing boyfriend and felt the anger snap. She pushed herself away from the door and walked closer to him, feeling like she could smack him many times over. "You did not just say what I think you said. You did not just--"

James gritted his teeth, gazing at her, unflinching. "_Oh_, I think I just did."

Lily allowed the words, the tone of his voice to sink in. He was being cruel now. His tone of voice was condescending and disrespectful and that was the _last_ thing she would tolerate from anyone, most of all, _him_. "How _dare_ you say _anything_ like that? I have _defended_ this relationship from everyone, _including_ you, and you have the nerve to stand there on what is supposed to be a happy day and tell me that I am leading Chelsea on? You better fucking be kidding me, James Potter, you better _fucking_ be kidding me."

James stopped; somewhere through his angry haze sensing her resolve snapping. "Then what the hell did I walk in on?" He tapped his finger against his chin as if in thought, "I mean, I thought him nuzzling your neck with his mouth or nose or whatever the hell he was doing might be _something_ but since you're so experienced in sex, why don't you educate me?"

If looks could kill, he would be dead. "I cannot believe you just said that." Her voice was low and deadly. "I cannot believe you just—you _promised_ you would never throw my past in my face and you just--"

"What the hell am I supposed to do, Lily?" James asked, throwing his arms up. "Believe you when you say that you don't have feelings for an old boyfriend and expect that everything is going to be fine? I did that and look where it got us."

"Nothing happened, you stubborn, bullying _toerag_!" Lily stomped her heel into the wooden porch angrily, wishing she could wrap her fingers around his neck and squeeze. "So stop before you get yourself into more trouble!"

"Oh, _I'm_ in trouble?" James motioned to himself, acting confused. "I guess telling my girlfriend that I love her every night before going to bed while she says absolutely _nothing_ makes me the bad guy, hmm? Or what about—what about allowing my girlfriend's ex-boyfriend to sleep in my apartment because he's a law-breaking gang banger and—and _liar_ because _I'm_ the awful trouble maker?"

Lily forced herself to breathe slowly and calmly. "James…"

"You know what, Lily?" James continued, ignoring Lily's quiet interruption of his angry speech. "Regardless of whether or not you have feelings for that guy, you allowed him to touch you. You allowed him to go near you."

"Nothing happened." Lily said again, quieter this time. "If you don't accept that--"

"How am I supposed to believe you?" James asked.

She shrugged, looking at him with a sarcastic expression. "Well, gee, I don't know. Um, not freaking out before I can even explain what you walked in on. I don't know, James. Um—trusting me when I say that _nothing happened_?" She shook her head, folding her arms across her chest. "You don't trust me enough to be alone with someone? _Really_?"

James didn't answer but stared at her as she shook her head at him, disbelievingly.

"I've given you everything I have, James." Lily tried to ignore the tears springing forth in her eyes. "I've given you my heart, I've given you my body, mind, and _soul_. No one else has as much of me as you do, James. _No one_. I mean, if you don't--"

"Lily--"

"The jealousy thing was cute for a while, James. It's done with now." Lily swallowed.

James shook his head, running a hand through his hair, ruffling it slightly. "I don't know, Lily. What I walked in on—if I hadn't been there…"

"Then what?" Lily asked, tilting her head, frowning.

James shrugged helplessly. "He might've tried something on you."

Lily let out a loud sound of frustration, throwing her hands up. "So what if he would have!"

James stared at her, confused.

"If he had tried to make a pass at me, I would've pushed him away." Lily snorted, shaking her head. "He's not the first guy that I've had to shake off me while I've been with you, James. And he won't be the last. I'm strong enough to tell a guy _no_. Trust me. Chelsea's just a friend."

She locked gazes with him, silently, trailing off. She wondered if he had come tonight with the intention and hopes of somehow catching something so that he could get angry. He seemed to _want_ to be upset. She had never seen James flip out the way he just did and frankly, she never wanted to see it again. It genuinely scared the shit out of her, and the last thing she wanted was to be afraid of the one guy she felt protected by.

"He and every other guy mean nothing to me. Not the way you do." Lily admitted quietly, allowing her voice to be gentler now that he wasn't pacing like an angry tiger and he now just looked contemplative. She was still very upset but she knew they needed to take care of one thing at a time. "You're the only one I want, James. But, if you can't see that, if you _don't_, then maybe we need to step back and reevaluate this relationship."

She chewed on her lower lip nervously, almost wanting to take that back, as his eyes darkened and hardened again. She saw his jawbones clenching and unclenching and before she could say another word, he nodded stiffly and walked down the steps of the porch without another word. She followed his movements until she heard a car start up and then peel away.

She swallowed.

…

_Flashback—About Charitable Acts and Coats_

"_Shit!"_

_Lily gaped at him. "James _fucking_ Potter?"_

"_Yeah, what the hell did you hit me for?"_

"_You kidnapped me, you fucker!"_

"_I didn't kidnap you."_

"_What the hell am I doing at your place?"_

"_Remus and I found you in Thompson Hall high off of drugs and passed out."_

"_And what? You decided to play _super-fucking man_?"_

…

"_I can walk you to the bus station…" He offered._

_She forced a smile. "I can handle myself. I'm a big girl."_

_He left for a minute and then came back with a jacket, handing it to her. _

"_What is this for?"_

"_I figured you might get cold—or something."_

"_Look, Potter, if this is some warped, _twisted_ way of acting all charitable…"_

"_It's not. Just be graceful for once in your life and accept a gift, okay?"_

…

_Flashback—About Giving Back and Favors_

"_Evans."_

"_Fuck off."_

"_That's no way to speak to someone who let you sleep on their couch earlier…"_

_Her eyes locked with his. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"_

"_Is this where you sleep every night?"_

"_No."_

"_Guess my jacket that you were about to decline earlier came in handy."_

"_Fuck off."_

"_Come with me."_

"_What?"_

"_My car is right around the corner. Come with me."_

"_Why?"_

"_Please, Lily. I promise I won't try anything. If I try anything, you can tell everyone whatever you want. But I won't. Can you just—can you just trust me?"_

_She grabbed a hold of his hand as he helped her up._

…

_Flashback—About Decisions and Being Gone_

"_So, you came home this morning?"_

_Her bright eyes darkened. "Yeah, you were gone."_

"_Yeah, I was out looking for you."_

"_Why?"_

"_I didn't know where you were."_

"_I'm sorry. Was I supposed to wear a collar with my name and your address on it? I didn't know you had to track all of my whereabouts."_

"_Well, you are living here."_

"_Okay, then I guess this is it."_

"_You guess what is it?"_

"_I can't stay around pretending that the reason why you stormed in here upset was because you were actually worried about me. This is one thing I can't lie about—one hurt I can't ignore."_

…

_Flashback—About Countertops and Clothes_

"_I got you these while I was out one day." _

"_Got me wh--?" She stopped, though, when she saw the bags of clothes. She was speechless. _

_He gave her a nervous smile. "So, do you like them or--?"_

_She blinked away tears but didn't say anything. _

_He looked discouraged. "You don't like them…"_

"_No, I do."_

"_You do?"_

"_Yeah, I love them. I've just never had someone do this for me before. It's kind of a shock."_

"_But a good shock?"_

"_A big good one."_

…

"_How about those clothes you were going to try on for me?" He grinned mischievously._

_She dropped her clothes and stood only in the lingerie he'd bought for her. _

"_Do you know how gorgeous you are?"_

…

_Flashback—About Voices and Relationships_

"_What is this thing you describe with James?"_

_Lily shrugged, looking at Annette. "Just a thing. It's not a relationship. Just—you know, a thing."_

"_Try to define it."_

"_I don't know really. I guess I don't know what it is we have or why we have it. I'm not pretty, or strong, or smart. I don't have any guarantees of this lasting forever. I guess all I really do have are his arms wrapped around me every morning when I wake up and his lips kissing me every night that I come home. It's not something that'll last forever but it is something that I'll cherish long after it's done. And every time I get sad or down about it, about him, there's always this voice in my head, louder than mine or his or anyone else's, that keeps telling me to take this moment and run, Lily. Take this moment and run."_

…

"_You found me. Now what?" Lily asked. "I'm not going to be whisked off back to your apartment to resume being your fuck doll."_

_He smiled. "So is this you asking if we have a thing?"_

"_No, this is me asking if we have a relationship."_

"_As long as you don't expect me to remember dates and to be amazing at this whole boyfriend thing 'cause I'm not and I wasn't with Shauna, then I do want a relationship with you."_

…

_Flashback—About Death Eaters and Acceptance_

"_Do you think I'm being unreasonable?"_

_She gazed at him. "You're being as reasonable as you can given the circumstances."_

"_Is that even an answer?"_

"_It's normal to not want your best friend to be seeing your younger sister."_

"_That's right. I don't like it."_

"_Can you live with it?"_

"_No."_

_She laughed. "Bella was right about you."_

"_Why? What did she say?"_

"_That you're stubborn. On the border of being thick-headed."_

"_This is supposed to be where you make me feel better."_

"_Look, all I can say is that they've somehow managed to get past this whole relationship thingy between the two of us. As far as I could tell, I was somehow a big no-no for you."_

_James looked away. _

"_James, I know it's hard for you to accept any sort of change."_

"_I can accept change fine."_

…

"_Sorry we didn't get to do that whole romantic night out thing like we planned, but at least here, we get to watch the sunrise come up over the skyscrapers."_

"_This is sort of romantic." Lily said, looking up at James's face. "The most romantic I've ever had. You've probably had better."_

"_Nope, this is it."_

"_Really?"_

"_You seem surprised."_

"_Well, I am!"_

"_I'm not into that kind of stuff."_

"_Then why did you plan it for us?"_

"_All I know is that now I _want_ to do those things. I don't even know how to be romantic. I just know that when I'm around this—you bring it out of me. It's something I've never wanted to do before."_

_Lily felt her heart swell and she bumped her shoulder against his. "This is rather romantic, isn't it?"_

_He grunted in pure male fashion. "Mmhmm."_

_She smirked. _

_Typical. _

…

_Flashback—About Caitlen and Thanksgiving_

"_I wish I'd known you when you were little."_

_He smiled cautiously. "Why?"_

_She shrugged. "You must've been adorable."_

"_Well, nothing's changed, _really_."_

_She laughed and swatted him on the chest. "Don't be so smug. I'm sure there were plenty of other adorable boys visiting the house, too."_

"_Not as cute as me though."_

"_I think you should kiss me now." She said, her voice just above a whisper._

…

"_How come you didn't tell me about you and Caitlen?"_

_He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I thought I wouldn't have to."_

"_Why not?"_

"_I don't know. Caitlen's _there. You're_ here."_

_Lily was silent. _

"_Are you jealous?"_

_Lily seemed thoughtful. "Lionel used to be jealous. Lucius is always jealous. And Damek and every other guy I've been with." Her eyes locked with his. "I guess you could say I'm a little afraid of being jealous."_

"_Lily, there's nothing going on between Caitlen and I. I'm so involved with you right now. I'm serious. You've made me happier than I've been in a really long time. You're amazing. And you're beautiful, and sexy, and funny, and charming, and shy, and everything I want in a girlfriend. I'm in love with you."_

"_Come again?"_

"_I love you."_

…

_Flashback—About Celebrations and Suspicions_

"_I don't know how I didn't come to know you before." He said quietly. _

"_Things were happening. If you had known me before, we probably wouldn't have gotten as close as we have."_

"_I think we would have."_

_Lily smiled sadly. "I wasn't ready, James. I am now. If you knew…"_

"_I knew. I saw you."_

"_That's what I like about you."_

"_What?"_

"_You're persistent. And stubborn."_

_He grinned. "It runs in the family. Bella has it worse than I do."_

"_Mmhmm." Doubt was clear in her voice._

"_Stop saying that."_

"_Saying what?"_

"_Mmhmm. It's distracting."_

"_Aw, why?" She pouted._

"_And don't do that."_

"_James, I love you."_

"_Yeah, well…"_

"_Mm mm. Wrong answer."_

_He whispered, "I love you."_

_She nodded. "Right answer."_

…

"_You've changed."_

_She looked at Chelsea. "In what ways?"_

"_Before you were just—helpless."_

_She raised a challenging eyebrow. "Helpless?"_

"_Yeah. You needed someone. Now you can make it on your own without anyone's help."_

_She shook her head. "I don't think that's true."_

_Chelsea looked contemplative. "Before, you thought you needed a guy. And now, you want the guy, but you don't need him."_

…

_Flashback—Beginning of this chapter_

"_How am I supposed to believe you?"_

_Lily stared at James. "You don't trust me enough to be alone with someone, really?"_

_He was silent. _

"_James, I've given you everything I have. I've given you my heart; I've given you my body, mind and _soul_. No one else has as much of me as you do. No one. I mean, if you don't--"_

"_Lily…"_

"_He and every other guy mean nothing to me. Not the way you do. You're the only one I want, James, but if you can't see that, then maybe we need to step back and reevaluate this relationship."_

…

James didn't know where the hell he was going.

He was in his black BMW hitting ninety miles per hour on the highway, speeding past every car on the road, shifting gears, and changing lanes, angrily. He kept going over the fight he and Lily just had, except there were made-up images in his mind's eye of Lily going back into Sirius's apartment to see if Chelsea was okay and her hands splaying across the bitch's face, making sure he was okay from James's punch. Every time those images seeped into his brain, he floored the gas pedal just a bit more, increasing his chances of a crash or the police pulling him over.

He hated that there were barely any cars on the road. Where the hell did they all go?

…

_Flashback—About Outs and Ins_

_Lily snuggled closer to James as he carried her out of Thompson Hall. "Mm, you smell good."_

_James swallowed and motioned for Remus to get the door. "Do you want to get that?"_

_Lily's legs clamped tighter around James's waist. "Why do you smell so good?"_

_He groaned. "I shower and I wash my hair."_

_Remus walked ahead of them. "Here, I'll get the door."_

"_I haven't been able to shower or wash my hair in a really long time." Lily said tiredly. _

"_Why not?" James wondered. _

"_It's not safe."_

_James frowned. _

"_You sound like this really, really handsome guy I sometimes have fantasies about."_

_He smirked. "Really? Who would that be?"_

"_I would never give his name away. I care about him too much to ruin his reputation."_

…

The truth was, he knew what he had walked into. Chelsea had given Lily his contact book and Lily was just so overcome with emotions that she leaned up to hug him. James had watched from the porch, well in sight, but he had felt a strange sense that he was unwelcome, even if he really wasn't. Looking at the two of them together like that with Chelsea playfully nuzzling Lily and her own playful giggling just caused something in James to snap.

It wasn't the _hug_. Lily gave Sirius and Remus hugs all the time. It was their history together and maybe not that, either. James never felt the emotions Lily brought about in him for any other woman besides her. This was all new to him and it was driving him crazy that someone could make him feel love and hurt all in one breath. He didn't like the feelings coursing through his blood. In fact, he'd always looked down on guys who went crazy over their girlfriends. Shit, he was becoming one of them.

It scared the hell out of him. Yet he wanted it so badly.

There was nothing, _nothing_ greater than the feelings he felt when he was with Lily. It was almost like he was split down the middle with two warring emotions when they were together. Part of him was the hormonal, hyperactive teenaged boy who couldn't get enough of feeling on his girlfriend, touching her and kissing her. He went crazy if he couldn't get his hands on her. The other side of him could sit beside her for hours, just talking and listening to what she had to say. Like, everything everywhere was going to be okay because he was beside her. Those times, he didn't want to be anywhere else.

There was always this element of fear, an odd awareness of time, and hastiness when they were together that he began to notice when he first realized that he loved her. It was a desperate emotion that caused him to want to know where she was, afraid that something might happen to her, that someone might get to her. Other than the Death Eaters, he told himself that he was imagining things, that he had all the time in the world to spend with Lily. But his gut told him otherwise.

If he was truly honest with himself, his anger was not about Chelsea, about trust issues with Lily and other men. He trusted Lily. Deeper down in his heart, he knew nothing was between Chelsea and Lily anymore, even if Chelsea was still in love with her. James truly had nothing to worry about when it came to other men making passes at his girlfriend. It was the deeper, scary gut-twisting fear he had every time he thought about losing Lily when he wasn't ready to lose her that caused him to react harshly, meanly.

And he recoiled in his seat as his foot eased off the pedal when he thought about the hurt and anger on Lily's face just before he stormed away. There was a self-loathing eating at his heart when he realized that he wasn't losing Lily to anyone but himself. She insisted that she loved no one else but him. He tried to remember a time, a true and real time that he witnessed Lily betraying him, but he couldn't think of a single moment or event. It was he who pulled back; he who ignored her, and it was he who had walked away from her. He created his own shit to roll in and that thought alone made him to want to curl in a ball in some corner of the earth and hide.

Instead, he found himself pulling into the parking garage of his apartment building. He pulled into his space and turned off the car. It was a coward's thing to want to do but how else could he face Lily after he treated her like shit? He was ashamed for his actions and he couldn't think of a single reason why Lily should want to talk to him.

Because he was in love with her.

Because he could see her in his future, having his sons and his daughters.

Because.

_I want to spend the rest of my life with her. _

…

_Flashback—About Silences and Revelations_

_They were in his car but he knew she was upset. _

"_Just drop me off at the front." She said shortly. _

_He drove past the entrance. _

_She glared at him. "What the fuck was that?"_

_He pulled into a parking space. "We both need to go in there so we'll go in together."_

_She unbuckled, angrily and opened the door. "But how the fuck will you explain me?"_

_She slammed his car door, storming ahead of him. _

"_Don't slam my door!" He called after her. _

"_Fuck you."_

…

"_How did my mom find her?" James asked the darker man standing before him. _

"_Same way she finds everyone." Jordan said. "You've been having sex with Lily and you don't know all this stuff?" He shook his head. "It's men like you that make women like Lily do what she does."_

"_What's that supposed to mean?"_

"_Calm down." Jordan whistled. "I guess you're not denying that you're sleeping with her."_

"_I'm not sleeping with her." James said defensively. _

"_Good, maybe you can do something nice for Lily."_

"_Like what?"_

"_You figure it out, playboy, and come back and let me know."_

…

_James sighed when he stepped in the car. "I thought you were going to stay here and work."_

_She didn't look at him. "I need some place to sleep, don't I?"_

…

_Flashback—About the Pit and Thank Yous_

_James jumped down onto the dirty ground and caught Lily's gaze as he stood up. _

"_Now that you're down here, do you mind telling me what the fuck you're doing in the Pit?" Lily asked, pushing herself off the wall. "You could've gotten yourself killed."_

"_Nonsense. I was handling it."_

"_Yeah, because having a knife pressed into your throat is the equivalent of handling it. While your friends are worrying about you going out and doing something stupid, I had to save you."_

_James choked a bit. "Excuse me. You saved me?"_

_Lily started to walk away from him._

_He bumped his shoulder against hers, turning to her. "Where are you going?"_

"_There's an opening ahead."_

_James frowned. "How do you know?"_

_Lily laughed softly, shaking her head. "You suck ass at this whole Underground shit, just to let you know."_

_He folded his arms defensively. "Well, I'm sorry. I don't deal with crime on a regular basis."_

"_I can tell."_

_He stepped closer to her, inches away from her face. He didn't miss the effect he was having on her. He reveled in it. _

"_The deal…" She murmured. _

"_It can wait." He answered quietly and leaned down, sliding his lips over hers. _

_When he pulled back, she whispered, "What was that for?"_

"_A thank you."_

…

_Flashback—About Curiosities and New Players_

_After they finished having sex for the first time, James whispered quietly, "I'm sorry."_

_Lily looked at him. "I-it wasn't exactly, er, entirely your fault."_

"_No… it was some of yours too."_

_She stood, frowning. "What? How the fuck was it some of my fault?"_

"_Um, I'm pretty sure you're the one who started it."_

"_Actually, I'm pretty sure that I heard my name in your very kinky dream. You started it."_

…

"_Why did you apologize?" She asked. _

_He sighed, shrugging. "I feel like I should be."_

"_Don't. It was nice."_

"_It?" He raised an eyebrow._

_She rolled her eyes. "Please. Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about."_

"_I know what you're saying."_

"_James, if you--"_

_He leaned down and kissed her passionately, cutting off whatever she would have said._

…

_Flashback—About Breakfast and Lionel_

_After Lily revealed to him who Lionel was and the younger man she had been in a relationship with, James nodded. "He was in love with you."_

_Lily nodded. "He was."_

"_Were you?"_

_She struggled for the right words. "I wasn't in the right place to love anyone."_

"_You don't have to hide anything. If you were in love with him, it's not like we're like that or anything." He said. _

"_I wasn't lying. I wasn't in love with him."_

"_Okay, then."_

_She narrowed her eyes at him. "I really cared for him and maybe if he'd still been alive, I would've probably fallen in love with him."_

"_Well, that's good for the two of you, then." He grumbled, walking out into the hall._

_She swung his arm around, jumped on him, and began kissing him. "Don't be jealous."_

_He pushed her up against the wall. "I don't get jealous."_

_She laughed. "Right."_

"_I don't." He frowned. _

"_What's wrong?" She asked, looking concerned._

"_Who was the guy you almost fell in love with?"_

"_Chelsea," she whispered, "Chelsea Kiaz."_

…

_Flashback—About Banquets and Fist Fights_

"_Don't apologize."_

"_James--"_

"_I've got enough shame to last us both the rest of the night."_

"_What? Why?"_

"_I don't know exactly what you're doing to me, Evans, but you've got me doing something I'm not all that familiar with."_

_She smiled shakily. "Oh yeah?"_

"_I'm so—so protective of you." He shook his head. "Now, I've never been that way before."_

_Lily swallowed. "Gotta say—as the person you're so protective of? I'm not exactly complaining."_

_He stared at her in wonder as she walked away from him._

…

_Flashback—About Jealousy and Consideration_

"_Trust me, James." Sirius rolled his eyes. "I had her a couple nice times back in the day and I knew exactly where she was then. She's turned her life around completely, and she might not admit it but I think a huge part of that has to do with you. She wants to be good for you, mate. She wants you."_

"_She doesn't love me though." James said miserably. _

_Sirius shook his head. "Anyone could tell that she's in love with you."_

"_I doubt it."_

"_I know it." Sirius said. "Lily's with you and she's in love with you, whether she's admitted it or not. Anyone can see the way that girl looks at you, like—like you're all see can see in her future, y'know? A bloke would be stupid to throw that away over come jealousy riff."_

…

"_You don't get it, do you?" Lily asked. "I don't love Chelsea. I'm not in love with him. Not even a little bit."_

"_Chelsea's a pretty boy, though. It can't be that hard to fall in love with a pretty boy." James said. _

_Lily smiled. "I don't want a pretty boy. I like boys with dark messy hair, beautiful hazel eyes, and y'know, rugged handsome types."_

_James smirked. "So, like Sirius?"_

"_Mm mm," Lily crawled over onto his lap, straddling him. "Only if his name changes to James Michael Potter."_

_They kissed._

"_I love you, James."_

"_I love you, Lily."_

…

"_Lily Evans, huh? That the one, son?"_

_Yeah, Dad. She's the one. _

…

When James entered his apartment, he didn't expect to see Lily so soon.

When he turned from closing his front door, he saw Lily sitting on the futon in the living room, twisting her hands nervously. The first thing he wanted to do was walk to her, lift her up, and hug her. He was reminded, though, of the fight they had and the way he left her before she could explain what she meant by reevaluating their relationship that made him stand still in his spot near the door.

Her eyes locked with his and it was almost a physical pain seeing the smeared make-up on her face, under her eyes and on her cheeks. She looked like she'd been crying but her eyes were dry and at that moment, she gave him no sign that she was going to cry. He only partially recognized that she'd been sitting in the dark so he flipped on the hallway light.

He shrugged, a gesture that meant he was beaten, defeated. "Lily, I'm so sorry."

She nodded, swallowing. At first she didn't say anything but looked away. He watched her profile and it was then that he took notice of her appearance as a whole. She looked beautiful. She wore a simple but elegant dress. It was more modest than he'd seen her wear, ever, but it still managed to ignite desire in him. Her hair was mostly upswept with long curls escaping from the clip and cascading down her slender neck. She wore silver earrings that sparkled as she moved her head to meet his gaze again.

"James, what's wrong with us right now?"

He leaned his back against the door, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking down at his feet. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have jumped to any conclusions about you and Chelsea hugging. I should've—"

"No, James," Lily shook her head and stood up slowly, facing him. "Something's—something's off with us."

He didn't know what she wanted him to say but he knew he had a script he had to get out to make this better between the two of them. "Lily, I love you so much."

"James—"

"No, please. Let me finish." James said and she stopped, exhaling and looking at him as she tilted her head as if she were tired. "I've been such… such an idiot for the way I've been treating you. Even before Chelsea. I shouldn't have been upset that you didn't say I love you right—"

"James—"

"—Away but I couldn't help it. I know that's no excuse and I should've been patient. I know that now. I love you, Lily. I love you so much and I can't even begin to tell you how horrible I feel about what's been going on between us. I want to make it better. I want to—I want to support you with your school and I promise I won't get upset anymore about you having to study when I want to have sex…"

Lily laughed softly, shaking her head, tears in her eyes.

James smiled, encouraged by her laughter. "I mean it. I haven't been the best boyfriend and I know I told you a long time ago that I wasn't going to be, that you shouldn't expect me to be. But I want to so badly, just for you. I want to be everything to you, _for_ you. I realize now that this is a two way street—"

She shook her head. "James, you don't really have to—"

"But I want to." He grinned. "You're my lady."

Lily looked like she couldn't decide if she wanted to laugh or cry. "James, thank you. Thank you for apologizing and for… everything."

He felt more confident now. Things were going okay.

"And I do love you, James. I've loved you since before we even really met when I hit you with that stupid bat." They both laughed for a couple of seconds before Lily continued, "And when we made love for the first time, and every time after that, I've loved you. And I always will, James, _always_."

"Me too." James stepped closer to her.

"You've helped me find a part of myself. You've helped me realize a lot about myself that I didn't even know about and I thank you for that." Lily paused. "There's still so much more that I need to know, that I need to overcome—"

James took her hands eagerly in his own. "And I want to help you, Lily. I want to be there for you through everything." He laughed, tears in his own eyes. "Baby, I want you to have my babies. I want to marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Please."

He swallowed, his heart pounding and his hands dug into his jacket pocket. He began to sink down to his knees and he looked up, seeing the tears slowly falling down Lily's cheeks. He smiled nervously and started to pull out the little box he'd been toying with all day.

Lily looked desperate right then. "James, please, don't—"

James shook his head and held out the small black box, opening it to reveal the most beautiful engagement ring he found at the jewelry store. "Lily Evans, will you marry me?"

Lily stared at him; her bright green eyes wide with tears pouring down her cheeks. She stared at him, her chest heaving up and down.

"James, I need a break."

And that sound was his heart breaking but his hand dropped to the floor, dropping the box and he looked up at her on his knees before her, his own tears wetting his cheeks.

"What?"

…

A/N

Wow, that was unexpected—for me. The proposal thing just sort of popped up, just now. I don't exactly know why but it happened, lol.

So, there were definitely a lot of flashbacks in this chapter and I apologize to anyone who abhors flashbacks but I don't know, I kind of think they worked. It brought it back to the beginning, when Lily was prostituting herself and James was a snobbish ass, lol. It worked. I thought it was a bit necessary to bring it back because for the last three (or even four) chapters, James and Lily sort of lost the thing that made them work. It was somewhere around when James admitted that he loved her that things began to go downhill for their relationship, even _before_ Chelsea.

It was important also, for me, to demonstrate that difference by going back to the beginning. Through the flashbacks, we really get a sense of where James and Lily's relationship came from and how _far_ they've actually come. Because readers get one chapter at a time, it's hard to keep in mind the relationship progression as a whole, so when we see sex come up often, we say, "Oh, their relationship is mostly based off sex." Or vice versa. Or when there's not a lot of romance or interaction between the two in an entire chapter, it's hard to appreciate the moments that do come.

The truth is, the romance I've written in Runaway Love between James and Lily is by far the best romance I've come up with between the two. I've written better about characters I've created myself but, about James and Lily, this is my pride. The writing may sometimes get a little shabby or slapdash but mostly, I'm proud of the content in their relationship. They stemmed from sex and they've both grown as characters from that.

James has finally come to the place where I saw him when I first wrote the prologue. He's at a place where he's not only able (because he has been since before he could get married) but also _willing_ to give up his single life and build a family with the woman he loves and _adores_. And to take it a step further, the woman he loves and adores turns out to be the woman who he swore he would never find attractive, never love, never have sex with, etc. And he ends up doing all that and more. And it came in steps.

Lily isn't finished yet, as far as growing _into_ love. She loves James, she knows she wants to be with him but she's incapable of it right now. She's done much better for herself but in the name of _James_. Her character progression was always because of him but for her to truly be in the kind of relationship that James want to have with her for the rest of their lives, she needs to be in a place where she will progress through her life because of her, _first_, and then James second.

And their break up was really just the result of my boredom, lol. Yup. Hate on me all you want, but I need a change, haha.

Besides, they've been together since installment 10, and in a relationship since installment 14. I'm pretty sure we can use a break, lol.

Like I said, next chapter should come very slowly. I apologize ahead of time.

Thank you for all of the support! I appreciate it!


	25. About Momma's Home and Brother's Girl

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Momma's Home and Brother's Girl

**Chapter Began:** Monday, December 3, 2007

**Chapter Finished:** Saturday, January 26, 2008

**Chapter Published:** Saturday, January 26, 2008

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Author's Note:** Wow—I am so sorry for how long it's taken me to update this story and publish this next chapter. My gods—I don't even know if sorry can cut it. All I can say is I'll be happy if I still have even a third of the support I had before I decided to go MIA. Reasons for that range from going to school, working, traveling, people dying, new friends, old friends, other national writing competitions, reconnecting with my biological family after almost eleven years, and just living and surviving moments of 'Can I actually write?' and 'How the hell am I going to continue after already twenty-four installments when I've never reached this point before?'

I needed to find the Runaway Love story again somewhere here in my body and I've found it again. Hopefully, everyone will be satisfied with the outcome of this chapter—hopefully, you laugh and you're touched and you come away with a, "Yes, I'm so glad this story is updated! I want more!" sort of view by the end.

Anyways, this story is dedicated to you guys and thank you for the support you've shown through reviews and through private messaging. Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Four: About Momma's Home and Brother's Girl Previously… 

"_Lily Evans, will you marry me?"_

"_James, I need a break."_

"What?" 

…

A barefooted, half-dressed James Potter cursed when he heard the knocks on his front door. He stumbled down the hallway, rubbing his eyes and the spot that ached on his lower back. He didn't bother to put a shirt on his body, or open the curtains to allow more light in for his supposed guest, but instead opened the door grumpily to see Jordan Gakdut standing in the hallway with his hands stuffed in his jeans pockets.

James frowned, partially because of the bright light of the hallway. He could barely make out the details of Jordan's face.

Jordan cleared his throat and gave a friendly smile. "Hey, can you let a desperate black man in?"

James only grunted and walked away, leaving the door open for the other man to step into his apartment himself. He ruffled his hair and fumbled with a lamp by the couch before turning to Jordan who was closing the front door and turning to face his host. "Sorry but if you're here for Lily…"

Jordan shook his head so James trailed off helplessly. "Nah, I'm actually here to talk to you."

James narrowed his eyes in thought and motioned to the couch. "Have a seat."

Jordan sat down and rubbed his hands together. "You know, I actually haven't seen Lily in a while, I just heard about—"

James nodded slowly. "Yeah, I don't really want to talk about it."

The darker man nodded in understanding.

"How are you holding up? Last time we saw you, you didn't look good at all."

Jordan shrugged. "I heal pretty quickly. Been through worse, you know how it is."

James didn't but he nodded anyways. "So, what did you need to talk to _me_ about?"

The air shifted as Jordan leaned his elbows on his knees and looked at James intensely. "You know this investigation that Detective Moody is heading is going too slow. And I don't know about you but if my kidnapping is any indication, it seems like the Auror Headquarters is quickly running out of options."

James frowned. "What are you saying?"

"It seems to me that even with this Chelsea character, we're not getting anywhere. And I wasn't involved before but when Lucius Malfoy kidnaps me to torture me, I'm in." Jordan took a deep breath. "While I was down there, I heard some stuff. But I need to be sure first."

"Yeah…" James didn't have a clue as to what Jordan was getting at.

"I need to visit Malfoy at the city correctional facility." He paused. "And I need you to come with me."

…

Remus rolled his eyes at the couple sitting in the restaurant booth, anxiously awaiting his answer. He shook his head as he sat down and said, "No."

Bella exhaled loudly and slouched against Sirius. "I thought for sure that Gayle would tell _you_."

Sirius shook his head at his girlfriend, disapprovingly. "I _told_ you, Bella. Gayle has a crush on _me_ and _Yolanda_ has a crush on Remus. You mixed the names!"

"How was I supposed to know you were right, you big poof?" She whacked him on the arm before sitting up in her seat. "I can't believe they can't just give us Lily's schedule so we'll know when she's working. That's ridiculous. We're her friends."

"As far as we know." Sirius mumbled under his breath and still received dark looks from his girlfriend.

Remus glanced around the busy restaurant. "Well, I'm sure after Moody's stunt weeks ago, that information remains private now. They probably don't want to risk it."

"But he was a cop!" Bella exclaimed. "A-and it's only happened _once_."

Remus shrugged. "Still. It must've been accepted as policy now."

Sirius groaned. "I swear, Bella, if we come back tomorrow night for absolutely no reason…"

"You'll do _what_?" Bella challenged, tilting her chin up and eyeing the man sitting next to her. "Order the New York sirloin instead of the steak tips?"

Sirius rubbed his stomach and leaned back, frowning. "My stomach hurts."

"Yes, well, that happens when you order beef _four_ nights in a row." Bella raised her eyebrows. Her boyfriend narrowed his eyes at her before flicking her ear. She shrugged his finger away from her face and smiled. "Come on, Sirius. Every time you do that, you know you lose fingers."

Remus rolled his eyes again and looked around. "They said she's still working nights here. Hopefully, she's alright."

"She's fine, Moony." Sirius sighed. "She's got Mr-I-steal-people's-girlfriends as her knight in shining armor to _protect_ her."

Bella lightly tapped Sirius's stomach. "Sirius, you know that's not how it went. James even said that's not what happened but that he overreacted and—"

"I would have, too!" Sirius exclaimed. "If that guy with the boy charms and the snug jeans hit on you, I would have done the same thing. You're mine, Bella Potter."

"Cute." Remus flashed a quick sarcastic smile. "But, now that we've tried to ask for her schedule and we've successfully _failed_, how are we going to find Lily and Chelsea? I mean, she's obviously not here right now, she hasn't been at the Shelter—"

"What do you think it's going to be like when we do finally see her?" Bella asked suddenly, quietly. "I mean, how are we supposed to—her and James were—you know?"

Sirius wrapped an arm around Bella and pulled her in closer to him. "Sadly, I do know what you were getting at." He smiled when she smacked him in the stomach again but he continued, "But hey, I'm telling you two… Lily is going to be fine wherever she is, even if she's with that untrustworthy, girlfriend-stealing, snug-jeans-wearing, boyish-looking prat. She's going to be all right. Especially with Malfoy behind bars."

Remus glanced around the restaurant again, even though he knew that Lily wasn't in there, even though she hadn't been there for four nights.

…

One person had occupied the Evans' home for the last three years and she had been Abigail Evans, the once stunningly beautiful and supportive mother to two gorgeous daughters. The carpets used to be freshly vacuumed, the hardwood floors polished to a tee, and the air scented with Star Gazer Lily, Abigail's favorite flower. Clothes used to hang in the backyard on the clotheslines where they would air-dry, giving that perfect feeling of new clothes again. The kitchen, once prized above all rooms in the house, used to smell like cooked marinated meats and chickens, peppers and homemade soups, rice and pastas, and delectable desserts. In bedrooms, the same sort of perfection would be present as well.

But _now_—now everything was mediocre. Which meant a _disaster_.

Abigail Evans _never_ did mediocre, never did disaster.

This was what worried Lily as she stared at her mother's still form on the couch in the living room. Even from her spot on the steps leading up to the bedrooms and bathrooms, Lily could see the black and white flickers of the television reflecting against the pale yellow paints. She swallowed back her sadness and again wondered why her mother's new address popped into her mind when she and Chelsea brainstormed on places they could go that would be safe. And that's how it had occurred to Lily to come to her mother's: no one in his or her right mind would think Lily would ever come back, _ever_.

"I finished putting the rest of the blankets and sheets in the washer." Chelsea said, coming down the stairs and sitting beside her as she watched her mother's helpless, depressed form. "They should be done in a little while. I'll check on them before I go to bed."

Lily nodded and forced a smile. "Thank you."

"You keep saying that." Chelsea said thoughtfully. "And I keep telling you it's no problem."

"I just—I was always the messed up one. Not her." Lily shook her head. "I can't believe we left her like this. I mean—I knew my situation but _Petunia_?"

"Don't do that." He shook his head and she could hear the frustration in his voice. "Don't blame yourself for what happened years ago. Look where you're at right now—"

"_Where I'm at_?" Lily narrowed her eyes, fighting the tears. "Do you have any idea how _badly_ I wished I weren't here right now? How badly I wish I could just walk right back into the Underground and _blaze_? Or _cut_ my anger out by getting _fucked_? Or get so drunk that all I have to deal with is my physical condition instead of dealing with all these thoughts in my head about—about _everything_? Chelsea, I fucking _hate_ where I'm at right now."

Chelsea stared at her through the semi-darkness on the staircase. She couldn't really make out his facial expression but the silence said enough.

"Chelsea, I've been away from the Underground for _months_ and I can still taste _everything_. How I'm able to _not_ go back to those things is far _fucking_ beyond me." She shook her head. "I used to say it was because of—because of…" Her lower lip trembled and she heaved in a breath. "And now I'm not so fucking sure. I don't know why I'm not like _her_ right now."

Chelsea followed the redhead's pointed finger toward the depressed woman laying on the couch, mindlessly watching television and ignoring her daughter. "Because you never were. You're your father's daughter, not your mother's."

Lily's tears fell down her cheeks. "How do you know that? How do you know anything about my dad?"

"Because—because for some reason, Lily, even though I haven't met him—he's as real to me right now as you are. You've made him real to me because of your memories." Chelsea lifted his hand and with the tip of his thumb, he wiped the falling tears from her cheeks. "You're so beautiful, Lily, and you have absolutely no idea. I'm not saying that because I'm attracted to you or because I'm in love with you. I'm saying this because you're the strongest person I know. And you deserve whatever good, whatever break anyone is willing to offer you."

Lily shook her head continually but Chelsea slid down one more step and gathered her in his arms. "Lily, you _are_. You're a hell of a woman and anyone would be lucky to know you. And it's not because of anyone beside yourself that you've managed to surpass every obstacle people have thrown in your way. The only times you've fallen is when _you've_ barricaded yourself in trouble. Because _you_ are your strongest resistant and _you_ are your greatest strength. Not anyone else."

"But…"

Chelsea shook his head. "But nothing, sweetheart. You're the real deal; I've known that for years. Unfortunately, I'm not the one who'll get to have you in the end but—but if you're happy, I guess I can cope."

Lily laughed at the way Chelsea's voice softened and trailed off. "If James were to—if he were to walk in right at this moment and see you hugging me like this, he'd probably kill you."

Chelsea laughed and said, "I could take him. I wasn't ready last time."

"You looked like it to me." Lily said with a smile on her lips. She wiped at her wet cheeks.

He opened his arms to let her disentangle herself from him. "What? That? _Please_. Cheap shot."

Lily stood up and rubbed her palms against her knees. "Yeah, well, uh—let me know if that _cheap shot_ needs any more medicating. I stored the antibiotics and alcohol bottle in the medicine cabinet when I was cleaning the bathroom upstairs."

Chelsea touched her shoulder before she could walk away. "What are you—_we_ going to do about your mother?"

Lily shrugged. "I don't know. I'm usually not the one nursing someone back to health, so right now, I'm just sort of focused on cleaning the remaining rooms." She paused and touched his face briefly before saying, "We'll brainstorm."

Chelsea nodded, trying not to feel strongly affected by her affectionate touch. It was a quiet _thank you_ from her that meant absolutely nothing in the romantic sense but when his mind was still reeling with thoughts of her being a lot more to him than just his friend, it was hard to separate reason from fantasy. He was good, though, and only touched her to comfort her. He knew she was vulnerable and he wasn't the kind of chump Potter and his friends made him out to be.

At some point in his life before becoming a Death Eater, he _had_ been a good man.

…

James felt Jordan stiffen beside him when the large doors opened and out came four guards on either side of a sloppily dressed Lucius Malfoy. It was the first time in years James had seen Malfoy dressed in rags. It gave him an odd sense of satisfaction when he saw the chains on Malfoy's legs and arms. He and Jordan shared a sideways glance when Malfoy was forced to sit down at the chair in the middle of the room.

"Potter and Mr. Jordan." Malfoy sneered, bearing his teeth. "I hear an apology is in order."

Jordan narrowed his eyes. "Because you kidnapped and tortured me?"

"No," Malfoy answered slowly, "Because Potter and Lily are no longer together."

James clenched his jaw. "We're not here to talk about her and you know that."

The chains made an awful noise every time Malfoy moved. The clanging reverberated throughout the small room. "So, what do you two want?"

"Information about Tom Riddle. About anything and everything to do with your son of a bitch pals." Jordan said through barely opened lips.

Malfoy laughed. "That's your plan, huh? Just parade in here and expect me to pop open just like that?" He paused, his smile immediately fading from his lips. "You don't have shit to offer me. And if anything _were_ ever offered, it wouldn't be worth three blazes and a bag you _know_ that. You don't have _shit_ with you which means I want _shit_ to do with you."

James glanced at Jordan briefly, thinking that they were finished but the other man was obviously not ready to leave yet.

"We both know that you don't operate when the colors are circling." Jordan smirked. "What difference does it make if the Po isn't down?"

Malfoy stared up at Jordan, with something like surprise and a little bit of respect.

"Again—what information do you have about Riddle and all your little homeboys?" Jordan asked.

Malfoy seemed to weigh his options in a heavy silence before he said just above a whisper, "Ingrid—forty-seven—fifty-five—left—left—right—Slytherin—_death_."

…

"James!"

"Prongs, open the door!"

Sirius and Remus continued knocking on the apartment door but no one came to answer it.

"I swear—if he's passed out drunk in the same clothes Lily broke up with him in, I'm going to _slap him_—James, open up!" Sirius yelled, banging his fists on the door.

There was still no answer.

"Maybe he's not home?" Remus asked, inhaling deeply.

"_Please_. Evans just broke up with him five days ago." Sirius shook his head. "Where else would he be besides moping about, thinking that his life is horrible?"

"Well, if he's not at home, Sirius…" Remus trailed off and rolled his eyes.

There was a loud bang on the other side of the door and Sirius held up a hand to silence an already quiet Remus. The two men locked gazes slowly and they both seemed to harbor the same idea… that either James was in there, ignoring his best friends' loud knocks on his front door or someone else had broke in and upon hearing Sirius and Remus, bolted the locks shut. _Or _the intruder had attacked their best friend and was beating the shit out of him while they stood outside…?

Remus leaned in closer as Sirius whispered, "That certainly explains why James didn't answer my threatening calls from this side of the door to let us in."

Remus rolled his eyes and motioned to the door. "What are we going to do? We can't just—just walk away. We have to do something."

Sirius frowned. "What the hell do you think we can do, Moony?"

Remus glanced around, looking for objects that might break down the door but there was nothing that could've done the job. He turned back to Sirius who was leaning his ear against the door to hear what was going on. "What are they saying? Can you tell who it is?"

Sirius shook his head. "It's just a lot of—I don't think James is in there." He shook his head and pulled away from the door quickly, "But I think whoever _is_ in there is about to come out so we need to figure out what we're going to do quick."

Remus' eyes widened and seconds later, Sirius's prediction came true. Footsteps could be heard from the other side of the door coming closer and closer. Remus' heart rate sped up as he and the other man searched the hallway for a hiding spot but everything seemed to be straight and "cranny-less". He met Sirius's wide gaze and they both seemed to understand one thing: that whatever was about to happen, they were just going to wing it.

The door swung open slowly and there was barely enough time to register anything before Sirius grabbed the lapels of a much shorter, chubbier man than himself and swung the intruder around so that Sirius could slam him against the far wall. Remus looked on, shocked, as Sirius leaned in, in a threatening manner, and shook the five foot two intruder.

"What's your name?" Sirius asked, gritting his teeth.

Remus glanced down at what the intruder was holding. He held two magazines in one of his hands. It was then that he noticed that the intruder had a bad hand, one that he cradled as best he could even though Sirius was making it very difficult to do so. The man wore terrible, ugly clothes that let off a particularly nasty stench. He was dressed in rags and his hair was matted and blonde on the top of his head. As the man cowered in Sirius's hold, Remus got a look at his spaced teeth that seemed to blow up his already chubby, round face.

"W-w-why should I t-t-tell y-_you_?" The intruder asked, sounding every bit scared but definitely sounding like he wanted to be anything but, if not for himself—for something else, whatever that may be.

Remus nudged Sirius. "Because my friend here hates it when people break into our best friend's apartment to steal his…" He quickly glanced down at the magazines. "Real estate magazines?"

Sirius frowned, holding the intruder tighter in his grasp but turning to Remus. "We need to get James some playboy…"

Remus ignored Sirius's comment and looked at the other man instead. "Why don't you tell us your name so that next time we see you, we can say, 'hey, there's that man that stole James's real estate magazines' and you can say, 'right, about that… I'm sorry.' Why do we need to call the cops if all you need is an agent to help you with your home issue?"

The intruder frowned, obviously confused.

"What he means to say is," Sirius turned to the other man. "Why the hell did you _break_ in to our friend's apartment?"

"My b-b-boss will hurt you when he f-f-finds out ab-b-bout this."

Sirius and Remus stopped.

"Boss?" Sirius wondered.

"Sirius, he's a Death Eater." Remus whispered, a chill starting at the top of his neck and going straight down to his toes. "Why else would someone break into James's apartment? They're looking for Lily!"

The intruder laughed, making the other two look at him. "My boss could c-c-care less about that—that—that _whore_. No, he's m-more concerned with s-s-s-something _else_. Something _much_ more valuable than _her_."

Sirius shook the man in his grasp hard and gritted his teeth angrily. "Hey, that's my best mate's girl you're talking about so you better watch—"

Remus frowned at the short man. "Let me guess—he's looking for the Book of Six."

"How do y-y-_you_ know about that?" The intruder frowned with a disdainful look.

"How about we bring you to the _very_ cop-like guy we're rolling with and all the questions you won't answer for me and my buddy here, you'll surely feel like answering when he shoves a barrel shoved down your throat?" Sirius tugged the short man from the wall while maintaining a good grasp on his neck and arms.

"C-c-cops don't do that."

"_Our_ cop does."

…

Moody frowned in deep concentration, one hand against his forehead leaning against his messy office desk and the other tapping the glass repetitively. His eyes skimmed the document he was so absorbed in seconds earlier before using the hand that had been tapping to crumple the document and toss it in the trashcan by his feet. He leaned back against his comfortable chair, resting an arm over his eyes and sighing slowly.

He thought he had attained a page of the Book of Six but found that was not true. Lily Evans and that Chelsea character lied to him, or in other words, misled him. Evans had the Book of Six, he was sure of it, but when he called her in to guilt her into giving it to him so that he could glance it over earlier in the day, she told him she didn't have it anymore, that she'd given it to Chelsea to give to a mutual friend. _What_ mutual friend? Moody and that boy had absolutely nothing in common except for the fact that they were both so importantly involved in the outcome of this case. That was _it_.

What was the Book of Six? Who came up with that awful name? Why did it seem to escalate the need to jail not only ruddy Malfoy and Jacobs but also the whole lot of Death Eaters, right up to their snake-like leader, Tom Riddle? How come it seemed like this whole investigation had been egged on, encouraged by the opposite side? The more Moody tried to wrap his head around the serious issues revolving around this case, the more he started to think crazy things about how this seemed to be a larger battle in the ultimate battle of things in disguise of a smaller war. That his finding the Book of Six and destroying it, bringing down all Death Eaters and Tom Riddle in the process, was paramount to just solving the Potter case.

Moody shook his head. That definitely couldn't be happening. It was impossible to bring down the Death Eaters, to bring down their untouchable leader. The revered gang had been around for years but the FBI sought to keep their crimes under wraps and what resulted was the ugliest monster the entire city of Los Angeles ever harbored. This was definitely larger than the KKK and quite possibly, the Mafia. Death Eaters discriminated against no one, or everyone depending on how one looked at it. But they killed, tortured, and maimed _everyone_. Who stood in their way.

"Old friend," A voice said softly, causing Malfoy to reach for his pistol before turning to the extra sound, "Things over the course of many years don't change very much, do they?"

Moody's jaw dropped when he saw who was standing in his doorway, blue eyes sparkling with hints of humor and mischief and white-grey hair falling past the man's shoulders. He hadn't seen _him_ in years…

The man walked into the office, smiling broadly at Moody with his arms held open. "You still rest on the job when you should be making yourself useful. What would the commander say if he were still alive?"

Moody swung his chair around, his eyes wide. "I'll be damned."

The man stopped. "Come now, Alastor. How do you greet an old friend?"

"Albus Dumbledore."

…

Lily whirled when she felt an arm touch her shoulder. Her green gaze fell upon Bella who jumped back, shocked by Lily's overreaction at being touched. As soon as Lily saw who it was, her eyes softened considerably and she seemed to relax before hugging Bella tightly against her. The other girl hugged her as well and they parted, glancing around at their surroundings. Lily was on break when she decided she needed to go down to the market to pick up supplies for her mother's house, so they stood in the local shabby store.

"Wow, long time, no see, huh?" Bella said, laughing nervously, "_Or_ talk."

"Yeah…" Lily didn't know what to say. "Yeah, I just—I'm on break right now so, I'm just getting a few things."

Bella glanced at what the redhead was holding. "A toilet scrubber?"

"Well, we sort of have a problem…" Lily's voice trailed off as she made a face.

Bella laughed. "What? Is Chelsea a dirty roommate?"

Lily laughed at that, easing up and shaking her head. "God, no. He's _too_ clean."

"So, how's that going? I mean, I haven't seen you in a little over a week and anytime we try to talk about it with James, he just walks away—"

Lily glanced down, chewing on her lip and wrapping a strand of hair behind her ear.

"And judging by the way you're acting now, you're not going to tell me neither." Bella finished.

"How…" Lily started but stopped. She breathed in deeply before saying, "How is he?"

Bella shrugged. "He seems alright. But it's only been a week and we can all tell he's torn up about—about whatever happened between you two." She paused before adding, "We all were worried… about—about you. _And_ Chelsea. We didn't know where you were. I mean, we went to the restaurant every night but I guess—I guess you weren't there."

Lily nodded as Bella spoke, her eyes glistening with tears already. "I've been… kind of absorbed in stuff."

Bella tilted her head. "What kind of stuff?"

"My mother." Lily said and looked just as surprised as Bella that she revealed the answer so easily. Deciding that what was said couldn't be altered, she continued, "Chelsea and I had to find a place kind of quickly when… and we had to find a place that no one would think to find us and that's when I thought about the postcard my sister sent me a year ago about my mother's new address. So we showed up there and—that's where we've been. It's kind of on the other side of town so…"

"Oh my god, Lily." Bella wrapped her arms around Lily briefly before letting go. "How is she? How did you—are you alright?"

Lily smiled, missing having another girl to share things with. "Yeah, I'm fine. But, my mother is not doing so well so I've had to take days off work to get the house back in shape and to make sure she eats and gets up from the couch."

"Wow." Bella folded her arms across her chest, looking at the redhead in admiration.

"And Chelsea's been helping around too. We just—we just finished the two bedrooms upstairs." She motioned to the supplies in her hands. "We're going to be working on the basement now. It's kind of a big job…"

"I can't believe that." Bella said, smiling wide. "Well, if you need any help doing _anything_, please call. You know my number and you know Remus and Sirius would love to see you. Remus misses you so much and of course Sirius does but he tries to be subtle about it."

Lily smiled and said softly, "And I miss them."

"And I just stopped by the Shelter earlier and my mother would love to see you as well. She asked about you but—if I had seen you earlier then I would've been able to tell her all this stuff." Bella shook her head. "It's amazing, Lily."

The redhead shrugged. "I'm not so sure but… it keeps my mind actively off… a lot of things."

"James?"

Lily nodded carefully. "Him, too."

"You mean the case?" Bella asked, knowing she was making it a little awkward by mentioning her brother to his _ex_-girlfriend periodically throughout the conversation.

"Yeah, and still, a _whole_ lot of other things."

"Well, I'm here, you know." Bella said. "I mean, I know you have Chelsea and everything but…"

"Oh god, Bella, I miss sharing things with a _girl_." Lily said suddenly, shaking her head. "Chelsea's good to talk to with and he gives good advice and he keeps me from going insane, but I really do miss _you_." She shook her head with purpose. "You're much more preferable to him."

Bella laughed. "Okay then. I should be expecting a phone call to get together—"

"You don't have to wait for a call." Lily said. "I'm not busy tomorrow morning if you want to go out to breakfast just the two of us. Chelsea's already offered a dozen times to keep an eye on my mom if I want to go out and get my mind off things."

"Yeah, that sounds great." Bella smiled; pleased by the way the conversation was going.

"And if you were serious about your comment on helping out at the house, we could definitely arrange a time during the next weekend to get started on the basement. Chelsea and I are _dreading_ doing that part." Lily laughed, scratching her forehead. "We could definitely use some extra hands."

"Of course. I could ask Remus and Sirius." Bella offered.

"Whoever you think would want to help, _absolutely_." Lily smiled and glanced at the clock on the wall, "Oh, _shoot_, I only have like—three minutes to pay for this stuff and get back to my shift."

"Do you want me to pay for it so you can get a head start—?" Bella started to ask but when Lily shook her head, she trailed off.

"No, it's fine." Lily waved it off. "The line's long and you probably have other things to do."

"Well, James promised us he would make his favorite meal if one of us went out and bought some herbs to put on the meat." Bella said and recognized that she had blurted out her brother's name again. "Sirius and Remus were out of town for the majority of the day and I was the closer one to the market so…"

Lily nodded, understanding. She sighed. "I miss his cooking."

Bella blinked. "Is that all?" She meant it as a joke—it came out as a joke but maybe not, too.

Lily looked at the brunette. "I _do_ miss him."

"Maybe over breakfast tomorrow, you'll be able to tell me your side of what happened." Bella said, adding 'hopefully' in her mind when she saw Lily gaze away. "It doesn't make sense is all. You both miss each other—"

Lily glanced at Bella suddenly, surprised. "He—he _misses_ me?"

Bella paused, silent and shocked in her own way. How could Lily not know that James missed her?

"Of course he does, Lily. He loves you." She waited for any signs of happiness or relief on Lily's face but when the redhead just continued to stare, she added, "My brother is still in _love_ with you. Until the day he dies, Lily. _Always_ until the day he dies."

…

Please (I know I don't deserve it) review!


	26. About Shrines and Long Talks

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Shrines and Long Talks

**Chapter Began:** Thursday, February 21, 2008

**Chapter Finished:** Thursday, March 20, 2008

**Chapter Published:** Thursday, March 20, 2008

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine. They belong to J.K Rowling. 

**Author's Note:** This chapter is ridiculously long over-due and I apologize like you've never been apologized to before in the history of all histories. That is all I can say, though, because the rest just speaks for itself. Enjoy and hopefully you all will eventually forgive me. One can only pray…

**Chapter Twenty-Five: About Shrines and Long Talks**

Previously…

"_So, what did you need to talk to me about?"_

"_I need to visit Malfoy at the city correctional facility and I need you to come with me."_

…

"_What do you two want?"_

"_Information about Tom Riddle. About anything and everything to do with your son of a bitch pals."_

"_You don't have shit with you which means I want shit to do with you."_

"_We both know that you don't operate when the colors are circling. What difference does it make if the Po isn't down?"_

"_Ingrid—forty-seven—fifty-five—left—left—right—Slytherin—death."_

…

"_James!"_

"_Prongs, open the door!"_

_Sirius and Remus hear someone in James's apartment and when the intruder walks out, Sirius pins him against the wall. _

"_What's your name?"_

"_My b-b-boss will hurt you when he f-f-finds out ab-b-bout this."_

"_Sirius, he's a Death Eater."_

…

"_You still rest on the job when you should be making yourself useful. What would the commander say if he were still alive?"_

_Moody swung his chair around, eyes wide. "I'll be damned."_

_The man stopped. "Come now, Alastor. How do you greet an old friend?"_

"_Albus Dumbledore."_

…

"_Wow, long time, no see, huh? Or talk…"_

"_I've been kind of absorbed in stuff."_

"_What kind of stuff?"_

"_My mother. __Chelsea and I had to find a place kind of quickly when… and we had to find a place that no one would think to find us and that's when I thought about the postcard my sister sent me a year ago about my mother's new address. So we showed up there and—that's where we've been. It's kind of on the other side of town."_

"_Oh my god, Lily."_

…

James shut the door behind him and Jordan as they entered his apartment. He was careful to put the locks in place and turned to the other man who rubbed his temples slowly. James wasn't sure exactly what was going on but he was certain that if he waited patiently for Jordan to go through the mental processes of finding out whatever they needed to find out, James would not be disappointed with his results. So, he flipped on the hallway light and leaned against the front door, placing his hands in his pockets and watching with careful eyes as Jordan paced in front of him. 

"Ingrid, forty-seven, fifty-five, left, left, right, Slytherin, death…" Jordan mumbled under his breath. 

James ran an exhausted hand through his messy hair. "Is that really _supposed_ to mean anything to us?"

Jordan didn't appear to hear him. He kept repeating the "clues" Malfoy had given them hours ago. They had spent the better part of the night, driving around as Jordan racked his brain with all the Death Eater information he had gathered over the years. James had been surprised by the vast knowledge as Jordan shared with him parts of his life, the parts that included Death Eaters torturing and killing his father and turning his younger brother into one of them. It was all very connected, James began to realize, much more than he had ever given thought to. 

"The other clues sound unfamiliar but _Ingrid_ is a name of a street in East L.A. _Old_ East L.A." Jordan's eyes clouded with recognition. "And the buildings over there run at _least_ until the seven-thousands."

James felt relieved. "So you're thinking forty-seven, fifty-five is the number of a building?"

Jordan shrugged. "It's the best option I can come up with."

"Wait… _Ingrid_ could be the name of _anything_. What makes you so sure it's the name of a street in East L.A?" James backtracked, blinking a few times and trying to follow the other man's thinking. It seemed too easy. 

"James, _Ingrid__Boulevard_ is where it all started. In East L.A. Riddle has a _huge_ history with that boulevard and I can't believe I didn't think of it before!" Jordan clapped his hands together once and grinned proudly. "I mean… if it's where I'm thinking this building is at… then…"

"Wait, wait… what information are we looking for?" James felt this was going way too fast. 

Jordan stared at James, frowning. "Don't you know?"

James glared at the other man, not appreciating the feeling of stupidity suddenly washing over him. He didn't respond but his gaze said it all. Obviously _not_. 

"Hasn't the good detective shared _anything_ with you?" Jordan rolled his eyes but didn't expect an answer. "Listen… the thing you got to know about T.R is that he's arrogant. I'm talking—straight up, stand tall, eyes to the ground, chin and nose up _smug_. This guy thinks he's invincible and he's practically right for thinking that. The FBI hasn't been able to touch him and you know why?"

James nodded. "No evidence."

"_Exactly_, homeboy. No evidence. No case. No _arrest_." Jordan smiled. "But what _no_ detective in this city knows and what _every_ thug outside the Death Eater circle _does_ know is that there is _mad_ evidence of their crimes. Everybody up in this city knows that T.R is so full of himself and thinks he can't be touched by nobody that he would even _designate_ an entire _building_ underground _dedicated_ to all the evidence in the _world_ of his dealings. Sort of like a… a shrine to reassure himself that he's all that." 

James stood in shocked silence. "So… are you… really saying that after all these years of murder after murder and no one being able to catch this guy, that this hasn't been brought up by anyone on the streets? When they've known about it all along?"

Jordan shook his head. "You misunderstand me. Nobody knows where the building is. Like I said, it's underground. Not literally, obviously, but…" He shook his head. "Besides, even if someone did know where the building was located, they'd die trying to get in. A building like that would be guarded like _crazy_. Ain't nobody getting up in that building without lots of guns and extra security."

"Well, if you told Moody about the location—" James gritted his teeth. 

"Re_lax_. I didn't know until just now. And even still, we don't know if I'm right." 

"But you probably are." James pointed out, folding his arms across his chest. This guy always seemed to know what he was talking about. 

Jordan shrugged. "Maybe. But I would like to be sure first before we go get ourselves killed."

"Why did you ask for my help?" James wondered suddenly. "You could have gone down to the jail yourself or with someone else. Why did you come to _me_?"

The other man shrugged again. "You was Lily's boy. I wanted to see what was so special about you, I guess."

James tried not to cringe at the use of past tense, _was_, and instead asked, "And?"

Jordan smirked smartly. "_I'm_ more compatible for Lily than _you_ are but you're alright, playboy, you're alright."

For the first time in he didn't even _know_ how many days, James allowed himself to smile. _Really_. Smile. 

…

Lily and Bella handed their menus to the waitress one after the other and watched as the third girl clumsily walked to the hostess' desk. 

Lily laughed quietly and shook her head. "I remember when I was like that."

Bella frowned and looked back at the waitress before she turned her gaze on the redhead. "No… you were never _that_ clumsy. I do remember how red you turned the first time you dropped a hot plate of chicken parmesan…"

Lily buried her face in her palms, shaking her head. "Oh god, that was awful. I can still feel the embarrassment."

Bella laughed. "Hey, but that was all part of the experience, right? Dropping a hot plate and gaining a round of applause. It was the first time I realized how popular you were at your work."

Lily chewed on her lower lip. "I can't believe they clapped for me. It was _horrible_."

The brunette shrugged a final time before asking suddenly, "So, what's the deal with your mother? You're taking care of her now?"

Lily nodded slowly. "I guess I am. _With_ the help of Chelsea, of course. I don't think I could do that alone, you know? Too many memories. Besides, it's um—it's not all bad. I mean, I get to-to see her and be with her which I haven't been in a few years. But—"

"It still has to be really hard for you. Going back and seeing her in whatever condition she's in. I mean, I don't fully understand everything but, from what you said yesterday about how you've been cleaning, it can't be too good." Bella said, concern clearly in her tone of voice. 

"It is hard and it's not _good_. For her, but for me, it's just proving that I can handle anything. I can go and be whoever I want to be. You know, after I help her." 

"Don't lose yourself in that, okay, Lily?" Bella said softly. "It's okay for a little while and to a certain extent, but there's a time when she's an adult and so are you. Adults aren't meant to solely carry other adults. Not without a crutch or the help of another human being."

Lily nodded, taking in that bit of advice. "Kind of like what James did for me."

"_Exactly_ what James did for you." Bella's eyes widened and nodded, completely in agreement. "I couldn't believe what he did when I found out. I was so—so _shocked_ and I didn't know how to handle that. I mean, especially since he and I never really understood the way our mother worked, always taking in different people in need. It was way above our heads."

"Until me." Lily said quietly. 

Bella nodded slowly and smiled sadly. "Until you."

Lily inhaled deeply and silently for a long moment before she exhaled all at once. When she did, she began, "James proposed to me."

Bella's eyes widened. "_What_?"

Lily nodded and swallowed. "Yeah, he did. And—and it was… the most beautiful, worst timing and most stupid, ridiculous thing I think he's ever done. It was… gods, I don't even have words to describe the way I felt…"

"And you turned him down." Bella nodded in understanding. 

"No, no, no I didn't…" Lily heaved in another shaky breath. "I didn't know that's what he was going to do when I made my decision. If I had known then I… it's very complicated, I still don't think I can make it so that you can understand my side. And I get it if you're upset at me and hate me because I hurt his feelings and because he's your brother and family always comes—"

"Lily," Bella interrupted quietly but she effectively stopped Lily's rambling. "You don't need to try to convince me that you didn't mean to hurt him. I know how much you care about him and I can _so_ tell that you miss him, even when you're trying to act like you don't. I can see the look in your eye when you're thinking about him and you hate yourself that you are. I get all of that, believe it or not. And I know that if you loved him and thought that it wasn't going to work out, you would do what you thought was right. You're not a mean person, Lily, I absolutely know that for a fact." 

"Thank you." Lily said shortly, sniffing. 

"But I—I don't get _it_ all. I mean, if Sirius and I broke up, and you _know_ how much we fight, but we wanted what the other wanted which was each other, I don't see why it has to end. Why it can't keep going. If love is there…"

"Love _is_ there." Lily interrupted. "So, _so_ much of it. But… gods, you know this is like you coming in at the last part of a movie and me having to go back and explain everything… what I'm trying to say is that I'm not ready for marriage, not when I've been barely ready for being in love. And it's not solely because of him, it's because _I_ need to be okay with myself. I need to know that if something were to ever happen, _I_ would still be alright, whether he was in my life or not. And I can't _be_ with someone, with _him_, when I know that right now, if something were to ever happen to him, _I_ would feel like I would want to die. And I'm not okay with that. I need to want to live for _me_ first." 

Bella stayed silent as Lily's words sunk in. 

"So, it's not because I don't love him enough or I don't miss him a lot, because I do and I _do_… it's because I need to be sure that I can keep going, with or without him, that I can stand on my own two feet, proud of who I am and how far I've come. And whether we find each other again and spend the rest of our lives in happiness together or not, I'll never forget the fact that he was the one who pushed me to that point, above and beyond. And for that, there's nothing in this world that I, or he, or anyone else can do to stop me from loving him for the rest of my life. And _he_ needs to be okay with that because it's not what he's probably tricked himself into thinking."

Tears unexpectedly formed in the brunette's eyes as she looked at the woman her brother had fallen in love with. "Wow… so—so him jumping to conclusions about Chelsea had nothing to do with your decision to break up with him?"

Lily laughed and rolled her eyes. "Well, your brother, despite his greater ability to bring the best _and_ the worst out in me, is also frustrating, stubborn, arrogant, and _completely_ crazy, I don't know _how_ you've managed to live with him for almost twenty years."

Bella laughed. "I'm not sure either."

Lily sobered slightly. "Don't get me wrong. I probably wouldn't have made my decision if he hadn't _completely_ disrespected and insulted me the night before but… I really think this is what's best for us. Right now. And I would _appreciate_ it if that decision was honored and enforced."

Bella nodded, understanding, and said, "I can pass on the word."

"Thank you. It's just—it's already hard with—with the memories and the dreams and all the things that remind me of him, without having to—to add on his family and friends talking to me _and_ the possibility that I could run into him somewhere…" Lily's voice trailed off and Bella tilted her head. 

"And Chelsea's helped you with all this?" Bella wondered. 

Lily shook her head. "You're actually the first person I've talked to about James. And even now, I'm reluctant but I think _you_, at least, deserve an explanation. I can't believe he didn't tell you he proposed, though."

Bella rolled her eyes. "He probably knew he would've gotten smacked for the worst timing in a _century_."

Lily laughed, enjoying the fact that she could talk to Bella so easily again. "It was pretty crazy, now that I said it out loud. I mean—he didn't exactly know what I was going to say but still… have a fight with a girlfriend and _tada_! A marriage proposal! Skipped _right_ past the make-up sex…"

Bella scratched her forehead lightly and shook her head, for the moment content that she knew Lily's reasons behind breaking up with her brother. "Yeah, not quite sure where _that_ all came from but, he has always been a bit dense in the forehead region."

"How are Remus and Sirius? Did you all end up having James cook for you guys?" Lily asked suddenly, remembering their conversation the previous day. 

Bella frowned. "No. I couldn't reach them last night on their cell phones and James was out when I stopped by the apartment. Guess he was tired of hanging around in his apartment all day without any fresh air."

Lily chewed on her lip. "I did worry about him at first."

"James?"

Lily nodded. "Yeah, I mean… I just remember that time when he couldn't find me and he went crazy all over town looking—"

Bella agreed. "He does tend to overreact, but—but not this time. This time he kept his depression solely focused in his apartment with the two dozen glass bottles of alcohol, not eating or changing or showering…"

Lily buried her face in her hands as Bella trailed off and Lily said, "Oh god…"

Bella nodded, playing with the placemat in front of her. "Yup. His apartment _reeks_."

"Yuck."

The brunette shrugged. "But what are you going to do, right? He's a big boy. He'll figure out that what he's doing is pathetic and he'll transform his current hobby into something _much_ more useful." 

Lily spied Bella through the spaces between her fingers. "You think so?"

"I don't know but we're hoping." 

Lily carefully placed her hands on the table in front of her and gazed away. The last thing she wanted was for James to hurt _himself_. She twisted her hands together nervously and clenched her jaw, hoping that he was okay but knowing more than anything, that because of her, he wasn't. That _hurt_. But what was she to do? She had already made her decision. 

…

"Wait—wait _slow_ down…" 

Detective Moody stared at the Lupin and Black boy in front of him and Dumbledore with an uneasy agitation. The day before, they had delivered a man whom they said was a Death Eater scouring and stealing from the Potter boy's apartment. Moody had the suspect cuffed to the chair in the next room and had just finished a round of interrogations that got them absolutely nowhere. Even Dumbledore, who had always been superb at cracking a suspect, could get nowhere with this guy. The suspect didn't even _fit_ the profile of the type of criminal or gang-banger that would _keep_ his mouth shut! 

Needless to say, Moody was a little frustrated. 

"We just told you!" Sirius shouted at the older man, glancing between the detective he had come to know fairly well and the strange, much older detective sitting quietly at Moody's desk. That man hadn't spoken since he and Remus arrived and Sirius was just a tad bit curious about whom he was. "That guy _admitted_ to us in the hallway of James's apartment building that he's the _guy_… he's working directly beneath Riddle! Can't you hear _anything_?"

"I can hear fine, boy." Moody gritted his teeth. "But can you understand _me_ when I say that if he doesn't admit to what you _say_ are his words, he walks free? I can hold him and interrogate him until your mommy crawls her way out of her grave but no confession, no arrest, comprende?"

Sirius clenched his jaw angrily but said nothing. 

"Alastor," the older detective began and Sirius and Remus' attention focused on him. His voice sounded much older and more exhausted than Moody's but there was a certain quality about him that immediately insisted people listen to him. It intrigued the younger men and they gave him full attention, even when he didn't address them directly. "It appears that Tom Riddle has set his own man up."

"Albus…" Moody rolled his eyes at what he thought was a ridiculous comment made by such a wise officer. 

"Please hear me, Alastor." And the man looked between Moody and the younger men. "My knowledge and research of this investigation leads me and others to believe that Tom Riddle is not satisfied with the simple kill and run anymore. He's become far too bored with that game. He seeks excitement. What better excitement can he create than to toy with the city's best private investigator?"

"Dumbledore, it's too far-fetched—"

"Alastor, you remember this man fifteen years ago. He's done it periodically over the years and he's doing it again. This time, we must act according to our gut. Our _feeling_. That man in there is a pawn and Tom Riddle is waving him in our faces, taunting us, telling us that we can't catch him, that we can't touch him. We need to act, and we need to do it soon."

Sirius wasn't sure who this Albus Dumbledore was but he sure liked the way he thought. This whole investigation just seemed too slow, too careful. They needed to do something. Before someone really did get hurt. Fatally. 

Dumbledore zeroed his gaze in on Remus. "Remus Lupin?"

Remus nodded silently. 

The older man smiled kindly and extended his arm, "Albus Dumbledore. I'm an old friend of Alastor. I've been collaborating with another man you might know—Chelsea?"

Remus nodded briefly and shook Dumbledore's hand. "He knows Lily."

Dumbledore's blue eyes lit up and twinkled with kindness. "Yes, yes he does. Although he's a better man than you lot has given him credit for."

Remus shrugged. "He's kind of in the way of our best friend's girl, if you know what I mean."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes, of course, but all will be well soon. In the meantime, Remus, would you fetch our little friend in the next room some water and bandages? I'm afraid on the ride here, he acquired one too many bumps and bruises and he also may be parched."

The younger man stared blankly at Dumbledore before his legs moved into action and he walked out of the room. 

Dumbledore turned to Moody. "You said there were others who were helping you?"

Moody nodded silently. 

The other man seemed to realize something. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to intrude but if you're going to continue to stare at me like it's your first time out on the field, I've elected myself to take charge."

"No," Moody swallowed past the lump in his throat, "all is well."

Dumbledore smiled pleasantly, seeming to enjoy himself. "Excellent. Then, if you wouldn't mind calling on the others to meet us here at the Headquarters as soon as possible that would be most helpful. I'm sure we're going to need all the hands we can get."

Moody nodded and walked out of the office. 

Dumbledore turned to Sirius. "Sirius Black—"

"Yes, sir—"

"I require from you a very important task. It may be just a tad bit dangerous but if you approach the situation with right kind of attitude, I believe it can be highly successful." 

Sirius felt pride well inside him. "What is it?"

…

Lily felt her stomach dip when she and Bella entered the brunette's dorm room to find James and Jordan standing there, waiting. When her gaze swept over from Jordan to James, she realized that both of their expressions were anxious and worried. When she cast a sideways glance at Bella, the brunette didn't seem to have any idea that they were going to be there either. 

"Bella." James breathed, his dark gaze ticking between the two women but ultimately finding Lily's eyes for a second too long. The redhead averted her eyes to the floor and then back up before looking at Jordan in confusion. 

Bella frowned. "James, what the hell are you guys doing in my room?"

"Sorry but it was kind of important." Jordan answered before James could open his mouth again to say something. 

Bella narrowed her eyes. "So you _broke_ into my dorm room to wait for me?"

There was an odd sound that came from the back of James's throat. "Kind of."

"Since this room is on the first floor, we climbed through the window." Jordan said. 

"_What_?" Bella walked to her brother and began hitting him with the back and front of her palm. "What—the—_hell_—were—you—thinking—you—you—_psycho_! You don't just climb in through someone's window if they're not home, you ridiculous, _stupid_ boy!" She continued to hit James as Jordan and Lily stepped to the side and watched the siblings fight with mixed amusement and alarm. 

"I'm sorry, Bella, but you know that I worry about—stop _hitting_ me!" James's arms came to stop Bella's from hitting him further. It only took him two seconds to lock her arms by her sides. He glared into her eyes with a meaningful look. "_Ouch_."

"You deserve it, you arrogant frog." Bella said and exhaled tiredly. "Now, will you please let me go?"

James regarded her carefully. "You're not going to hit me again?"

"Promise." Bella smiled. "Just let me go and explain to me why you and Jordan decided to climb through my window."

"Well, the window thing we kind of decided on a whim…" Jordan muttered under his breath. 

Lily let out a quiet giggle causing the two boys to look at her with funny expressions. Her hands came up in surrender. "Hey, you're the ones who climbed through the window, _not_ me."

Jordan smirked at the redhead. "Like you haven't done your share of stupid things to get away from Death Eaters."

Lily immediately sobered and her gaze swept between James and Jordan. Unbeknownst to either of them though, her eyes quickly assessed their bodies, mostly James's, for any damage done. She couldn't see any. "There were Death Eaters chasing you?"

"Well, if by chasing you mean five of Riddle's guys speeding to catch us in their expensive cars and shooting at us while we run for our lives on foot, then yeah, there were Death Eaters chasing us." Jordan considered, scratching the stubble on his chin thoughtfully. 

Lily felt panic arise in her gut as she looked at James more carefully. "Well, did you get away? Are you alright?"

She felt the impact of his eyes meeting hers, the body-slamming affection and hurt mixed in, and she wished she hadn't made herself so vulnerable for their eyes to catch. She should've been more careful. James always knew when she was hurting, always. And she knew she couldn't ever resist him when his warm hazel eyes looked so vulnerable to her. She swallowed, though, and forced herself to look away when Jordan again answered for James. 

"Considering we're in here, alive, with no immediate danger in our sights, I'd say we got away and we're fine." 

Lily glared up at Jordan before folding her arms and going to sit on the bed she knew was Bella's. 

"See?" James turned to Bella with a half-hearted smile. "Climbing through your window was the best thing that has happened in my life in the last twenty-seven minutes."

"Aw, James," Bella touched his cheek affectionately, "That's so _sweet_." She gave him one gentle smack on the cheek before turning away from him and coming to sit beside Lily on her bed. "So explain. Why the hell were Death Eaters chasing and shooting at you guys?"

Lily shook her head and asked slowly, "Did they see you guys climb through the window?"

"They saw us come on campus." Jordan said. "We don't think they followed us in."

"How exactly did you get away? Why didn't you have your car?" Bella looked at James. 

James shrugged. "We parked my car a few blocks from the building."

"_What_ building?" Lily asked, her voice low as she looked at him. If her heart wasn't pounding ridiculously hard at being so near after days of not seeing him, she wished she could walk right over like Bella and start hitting him for being so stupid, too. What was he _thinking_? Putting himself in danger like that? The _recklessness_…

"The building that James and I think has all the Death Eaters' evidence." Jordan answered simply. 

Lily felt anger rise in her at Jordan. It was all his idea, she _knew_ it. "Jordan, you know there's no evidence of Riddle's activities. You _know_ that." She stared up at Jordan and met his eyes meaningfully. What her eyes were really saying was, _How could you put him in danger like that? You know I couldn't handle it if something were to ever happen to him…_

"Actually, James and I walked right into the jail downtown and requested to speak with Malfoy. After his usual antics, he gave us the clues to finding the building we all know exists. It's there, right on Brown Boulevard, two lefts and a right from _Ingrid Boulevard_." Jordan's last two words drawled on for a few seconds as Lily's eyes widened in recognition. Jordan seemed pleased. "See? Not all reckless."

Bella shook her head and folded her arms across her chest. "I challenge that theory. You two could've been killed."

"We're standing right here though." James said quietly. "And now we know the building exists."

"Wait—so Lucius just _gave_ you this information?" Lily frowned. "After years of keeping it a secret, he decides to finally open up."

"Well, we think he wants us to let Moody know that he told us so that he can get off on lighter charges. Obviously not going to happen because he's a murderer but we're happy he reacted in ignorance and we're kind of on a high so don't fan it down." Jordan finished, stuffing his hands in his pockets. 

"He told you the exact location?" Lily asked, her mind still reeling from the new information. 

"No. He made us guess." 

"And out of all the possibilities in the world, you happened to get it?"

Jordan shrugged. "More or less. He gave us clues. Ingrid, forty-seven, fifty-five, left, left, right, Slytherin, death. So, in other words, start on Ingrid Boulevard, find the building four-seven-five-five, turn left immediately, another left on the next block, right on the next, we found a mailbox with a green, metal snake-like lizard wrapped around the post, and we're guessing the password to get in is _death_."

James nodded. "But when we walked up to the porch, the three Death Eaters sitting in the chairs on the top kind of got a little aggressive." 

Jordan seemed to hesitate. "James got nicked in the side by a crow bar."

The girls' eyes widened and Lily's gaze swept across James's body. One of his arms was clutching his side and she must've not recognized that when Bella was hitting him. She chewed on her lower lip as James flashed his wound at them by briefly pulling aside his jacket to allow them to see that the side of his white shirt was covered in his blood. 

"Oh my…" Bella stood up and walked to James carefully. "Are you okay? Does it hurt?"

James shrugged but Lily could tell he was in pain. "A little. More now that I've stopped running." 

"You need to get that washed and bandaged, James." Bella said sternly just as the phone rang. She picked it up on the second ring and answered, "Hello?"

Jordan glanced at her and motioned with his hands. "If it's your detective guy, I want to talk to him about what we've found out." He looked between James and Lily. "Bella's right. You should get that washed right away."

James nodded and began to walk toward the door. Lily stood up suddenly and hurried to his side, holding the door open awkwardly and sending Jordan an uncomfortable smile before she followed James out into the corridor. She closed the door and they walked down the hall and turned into a small room that had a large sink. She fidgeted nervously with her hands when he shrugged out of his jacket and placed it beside the sink. She averted her gaze for the seconds that he struggled out of his t-shirt and then she looked on again and gasped. 

Her fingers automatically came to gently rest on the soft skin near his bloody wound. "My gods, James…"

Her eyes found his and they held too long, too intimately before she looked away and turned on the faucet, reaching over him to pull a face cloth off the rack. She didn't miss the way he seemed to stiffen at her closeness or the sharp intake of his breathing. When she wet the facecloth, she went to work in silence and tried to pretend that his dark gaze wasn't staring at her so openly in shock. 

She tried to be good, too. He was hurt, for crying out loud! But her eyes still couldn't stop admiring the way his stomach flexed and unflexed when she gently moved the cloth over his damaged skin. He was very warm and very muscled that Lily found her fingers lingering for too long after when she finally cleaned all the blood off his side. 

"I miss you," he blurted out suddenly when she was rinsing the blood from the facecloth. 

She swallowed but made no effort to speak. She didn't think she could say anything without words coming out shaky and breathless. She wanted to say she missed him, too, and that she thought about him so much, even when she chided herself not to. She wanted to look at him confidently and tell him she still loved him, even when he probably doubted, by her actions, that she didn't anymore. Of course she did. Of course she always would. 

He was still watching her when she finished and sat back. "I'll wait for you."

A lump formed in her throat as she heard his words. "Please…"

He tilted his head to the side and asked quietly, "Please what?"

She struggled to say something. "Please don't make this harder than it has to be."

He leaned back and studied her with a hard expression. She could see his jaw clenching beneath his skin. "I'm sorry. Was this supposed to be easier for you? Am I overreacting?"

Lily closed her eyes briefly at the anger she heard in his voice. She didn't want it to be like this. She didn't want to hurt him anymore and she didn't want to be hurt by him anymore. But how could she explain that to him when she knew he wouldn't believe her? In his mind, he had already given her his life and in her mind, she already gave him hers. And that was what she sought to change. Because two people couldn't possibly depend on each other the way James and Lily did without something terribly going wrong. Lily's past life proved that. It happened before and it would happen again. 

"Lily, I love you. I want you in my life." James clenched his teeth together, tears in his hazel eyes. James didn't cry but it seemed like that was all she had made him do lately. She didn't want that either. She _hated_ seeing tears in his eyes. "I don't know what I did but—"

"Please, James, stop." Lily stood up and balled her hands into fists. His eyes followed that movement and he stood up, too, a bit wobbly at first but when he stood to his full height, he was a good six inches taller than her. 

"Listen to me—" James started but Lily felt anger rise in her suddenly and she didn't exactly know where it came from but she ran with it. Anger was a good emotion to have when she wanted to hide all her other feelings. She welcomed it. 

"No, you listen to _me_." Her voice rose and she took a deep breath. "I'm asking you right now to _stop_. Stop telling me that you miss me, stop telling me that you love me. You think it's what I want to hear and maybe somewhere in me, I do, but I can't _listen_ to that right now, do you understand? I'm trying to do this for me and you're making it about you. For once, please just understand that it's not always about you. I need to do this for _me_."

James frowned. "Why? Why can't I help you?"

"I don't want you to." Lily answered evenly and didn't miss the hurt that immediately crossed his face. "I want to stand on my own two feet. I want to prove to myself that I have a life besides trying to please you and make you happy."

"I've never demanded anything like that from you…" James started to say but she shook her head. 

"You don't have to." Lily said quietly. "You don't have to because I just seem to give you all of me naturally. You don't demand anything from me, James, but I can't help but give you everything. I see you and I just want to."

"And why is that a bad thing?" 

"Because—because it's _tiring_. Because it's not _healthy_. Because eventually, you're going to want more and there's not going to _be_ any more of me that I can give up. Because where I come from, you give everything to someone and if something happens to that someone, you're left with nothing. I want _something_." Lily shook her head. "And I can't accomplish that if I feel like I'm going to constantly be afraid of what might happen to you."

"You think I don't think things like that too?" James said between clenched teeth. "Lily, I'm _petrified_ to lose you. Scared fucking shitless that one day, I'm going to wake up and you'll be gone. To someone else, to death, to _anything_. But I'm not backing down and I don't think you should either."

Lily shook her head again slowly. "I'm sorry you feel that way."

James stepped closer to her and she automatically tensed. "That's it? You're sorry?"

She shrugged helplessly. "James, I've made my decision."

"And what am I supposed to do?"

"Accept it."

James touched her shoulder gently and her breathing halted. "I don't want to."

She had to remember to breathe again. "_I_ want you to."

They stared at each other and just as he was about to open his mouth to answer, Bella appeared at the doorway. They both jerked their gazes away from one another and looked at the brunette who obviously knew she had walked in on something. 

"What is it, Bella?" Lily flinched visibly at the coldness in James's tone. Bella didn't deserve his anger, _she_ did. 

"That was Moody on the phone. He wants us to come in. All of us." Bella gave Lily a meaningful gaze before she looked at her older brother again. "_Now_."

…

_A/N:_ What do you say? You leave a review (good or bad) and I'll hustle to get the next chapter to you quicker than I did this time? 


	27. Part B: About the Mind and Interventions

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About the Mind and Interventions

**Chapter Began:** Friday, March 28, 2008

**Chapter Finished:** Monday, March 31, 2008

**Chapter Published:** Monday, March 31, 2008

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Author's Note:** Okay, so, forget the story ending on 30. This installment has been building for a few months now and it's finally come out just like this. The story will end very soon, within the next four or five chapters, but because I've gotten a lot of people saying I've neglected to tell James's side of the story, here it is for you guys. As told from the perspective of James.

By the way, this isn't Chapter Twenty-Six. It's Part B of Chapter Twenty-Five. The little sister or cousin of the first part ;)

Thank you for last part's reviews; they were all wonderful!

Hope you enjoy and tell me what you think!

**Chapter Twenty-Five Part B: About the Mind and Interventions**

Flashback to _About Flashbacks and Uncertainty_

"James, I need a break."

And that sound was his heart breaking but his hand dropped to the floor, dropping the box and he looked up at her on his knees before her, his own tears wetting his cheeks.

"What?"

Lily shook her head, tears pouring down her cheeks. "I can't—I don't know how—James, I'm so sorry."

James didn't reply because there was a feeling of his throat closing on him, closing on the oxygen he couldn't seem to care about breathing in anymore. His mind slowed to almost a complete stop and there was a pain pressing into his chest, such a horrible pain, and it was building slowly at first and then more quickly. It was when he leaned back from his kneeling position that he realized he hadn't taken a breath. When he inhaled, it was desperate and uneven. Gods, he had never ever felt this kind of pain before. Was he dying?

"I didn't know that you were going to—James, I love you so much, I _do_. I just—I don't know how many more of these arguments about Chelsea, about school, about _anything_ I can live through." The woman who was breaking his heart swallowed harshly and fidgeted with her hands. "Those things we said earlier to each other—"

"They didn't mean anything!" James insisted, his voice husky. "They were just—"

"They _did_ mean something." Lily interrupted him. "They meant something to _me_."

"Lily, I'm so sorry. Please don't do this. Please don't—"

"They meant that because _this_ is so good, the pain hurts _so_ much more. James, I've been broken most of my life, way before you even came into it. And because you helped to build me up again, I'm really pulling myself together now. But lately, it's just been getting to the point where every time we hurt, it's harder to recover. It doesn't hurt less, it's not something I can get used to, and it hurts _more_—"

"You know I don't want—" James shook his head.

"—And I'm _scared_, James. I'm scared that somewhere down the road, I'm not going to love you like I do now. And you're not going to love me like you do now. If it hurts this bad now—"

"Lily, this hurts. What you're doing _right_ now, it hurts." James screwed his eyes shut for a second to reign in his emotions. What had he become?

"—Then how do you think it's going to feel later? Not better."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" James opened his eyes again, his teeth grinding together. He must have looked a mess because when he met her gaze, he saw her flinch visibly.

"Because I love you and I don't want that to change." Lily replied. "I'm not going to place you as the one responsible if I mess up again. Nor do I want my anger to be aimed at you, or your anger at me so that we can hate each other some day. I won't do that to _this_."

"What is _this_?"

"You will always be in my heart, James. And I'll—"

"Lily, don't do this…"

"I'll always love you. That's what this is. _Us_."

James gazed at the floor he was still kneeling down on. He tried to think of a rebuttal argument, of something to prove her wrong. But all he could hear was an audience laughing at him, mocking the man who said he would have just harder time falling in love than getting a woman to break up with him. Or the man who looked down on other men who couldn't keep the women they loved in their lives. That was him. He couldn't convince the one person he wanted more than his own life to stay with him.

There wasn't a fight in him.

There was just defeat.

OooOooO

Present

He knew she was trying to discreetly look at him. He also knew she had been watching him for the last ten minutes, those green eyes following his every movement, her ears alert to any sounds of distress or pain, and her body with the curves and soft spots that he had come to know almost as much as his own hard body leaned closer toward him, stretching, yearning from across the room. He remembered when he would press the side of his face against the soft surface of her stomach, his fingers clasped around her sides desperately, almost as if he tried to curl himself around her. He could almost feel her fingers weaving through his thick hair, her gentle fingers caressing the features on his face. He knew of the chemical reaction between the two of them and he understood their bodies' unconscious efforts to be one.

He inhaled and exhaled deeply, turning the page of the newspaper he was reading and staring at one of the pictures without seeing. What he didn't understand, however, was Lily's mind. He didn't need to guess all of her physical reactions to him because he knew them by heart, because her heart beating was his own heart pounding against his chest every time she was near, but their minds… _that_ was where an all-knowing power failed to unify them. That was where they came from different worlds, all literally and figuratively.

Because if James loved someone, he planned the rest of his life with them. There was no temporary, no break. No _if_ and no _but_. In all his twenty-four years, James came to understand that he loved exactly one woman and one woman only. He was in love with Lily Evans and there was absolutely nothing anyone could do about it, even him. Hell, he had been his greatest obstacle in admitting that love connection that he doubted anyone else's opinion mattered much beyond that point.

Except, of course, Lily Evans's point of view, her opinion.

And he was confused as hell to what her opinion actually _was_.

Because he could tell that she still had feelings for him. She hadn't done a good job hiding that from him. Her eyes showed too much tenderness, too much affection for her to be completely over him. At first, he thought she needed a little pushing, a gentle prodding and encouragement and so he had told her that he missed her, that he would wait for her, certain that she would reply back with similar words. When she told him to stop, he became confused. And hurt all over again.

Right back to the night when he proposed to her and she said she needed to go on a break.

What the _hell_ was a break? No, no—scratch _that_. He had gone on breaks with girlfriends before but that was just _it_. None of the women he had seen prior to Lily could even compare to her. She was his and more importantly, he was hers. She had to know that. She had to understand that there was no one else for him. She was it. Just like a swoony, little schoolboy aching over his first heartbreak from the opposite sex, he sat across the room from her, holding the pieces of their broken love in his arms and showcasing them to her in hopes that she would suddenly see the error and glitch in her decision and come back to him.

Frustrated, he turned the page again.

She needed to stop looking at him. Better yet, he needed to stop _recognizing_ her looking at him. Or else… or else _what_? It wasn't even like he had the same kind of power over her body that he had just a few short weeks ago. He had always wondered, while watching movies with his sister and mother, why when a romantic couple got into a heated argument, the guy didn't just take the chick right then and there. Why the guy didn't just kiss the girl. Why he just let her cry in front of him. Why he either walked away from the situation or let her walk away. Without _doing_ something about it.

And he finally understood.

It was because of—the distance the argument created that made the mind think it was completely unfathomable to reconcile silly differences that then escalated into matured reasons why the couple couldn't be together. It was that _fucking_ mind that kept the guy from taking the girl, kissing and consoling her, and from staying and trying to work things out. It was that _fucking_ mind that kept his Lily on one side of the room while he was kept fuming with restlessness on the other side. Because there was a river forming between their stubborn masses and while James was busy constructing the so-called bridge that would once again unify them, Lily's _fucking mind_ was busy shooting down his attempts with brutal lightening bolts that left his overcharged heart convulsing in pain.

That was the bloody reason why guys didn't always fuck the chicks after gruesome emotional fights. Because when they sensed their girl's resolve, their own minds that were not even wired to believe in love and affection convinced them that there was nothing they could do to stop her, nothing they could have done to prevent the end… and so, the only thing to do was to pretend to move on. Pick up the bits and pieces of their hearts; grab a few bottles of the strongest alcohol, drink, and run themselves tired into the ground until someone came along who was brutally honest enough to let them know what a fuck up they'd recently become. And hopefully that person could finally knock some sense into the guy so that he could start living his life again. Almost like before.

Almost.

OooOooO

"I can see you've perfected the art of doing absolutely nothing."

James turned from his spot on the stone fountain in the garden of the Headquarters and sighed tiredly when he saw that it was Chelsea, the one person he wished not to see. He was so exhausted that he didn't even try to formulate a comeback statement. Besides, there was a voice inside of him that agreed with the other man just a little bit. Chelsea didn't know how right he was in saying that.

"Wow, James Potter _must_ be hurting if he's not trying to punch me in the face after _that_ statement." Chelsea said without mercy but there was a strong sense of playfulness in his tone as he stepped closer to James. "Kodak moment, don't you think? Lonely young man sits on a beautiful, gothic-structured water fountain, perhaps internalizing his so-called defeat while the woman he loves sits now fidgeting with curiosity inside."

James's gaze immediately locked on Chelsea, his eyes searching.

Chelsea allowed a small smile to reach his lips. "Yeah, she _is_ wondering why you left. Why you're out here. Just because a little kid puts on a fireman's costume doesn't mean that kid will grow up to be a fireman."

James frowned. "What?"

Chelsea chuckled and shook his head. "I don't know, forget I said that."

"Why are you out here… talking to me?" James asked quietly.

"Was there ever a reason besides Lily that made you not like me?" Chelsea wondered suddenly.

James shifted and shrugged. "You faked your own death…"

Chelsea folded his arms and looked thoughtful. "I was under orders by my boss to do so. It was for the greater battle that I did that."

"And do you regret it?"

Chelsea looked at James evenly. "Every damned day."

"Why? Because of Lily?"

"I have to admit… she _was_ the biggest appeal to turn down that order." Chelsea revealed, clucking his tongue, still in thought. "But, I did it because it was the right thing to do. It served a higher purpose."

James stood up, shaking his head. "I'm not interested in your heroic efforts in this so-called battle so you can stop."

Just as he walked by, Chelsea bumped his shoulder into James, effectively stopping his exit. The shorter man looked at James evenly and said, "It's not over between the two of you and you need to stop acting like it is." He pointed at James and shook his head again. "Until you have to fake your death or you're dead, it's not going to be over with you two."

"It already is." James gritted his teeth, leaning closer to the other man. "And don't touch me like that again or next time I will punch you in the face without needing a goddamn word to come out of your mouth."

As he tried to walk away again, Chelsea called out to him, softly. He stopped but didn't turn to look back.

"You don't see her when you're not around, but I do." Chelsea said quietly. "You don't see her when she's at home alone where there's no one to distract her and her thoughts, without her desires for them to, automatically revolve around you. And when she sleeps at night, you don't hear her talking in her sleep, reliving your love or the pain she thinks she caused you. You don't hear but I do.

"Or when she's by the phone, half wishing, half hating herself that she wants the next phone call to be you. Even though she thinks it's impossible. Or in the same breath, you don't see her own hand hovering inches from the phone and that internal war raging in her mind about whether it is right or good for both of you if she called to see how you are doing. You don't see that but I do.

And what about the times when something happened and you were the first person she wanted to tell, wanted to hear your opinion and your thoughts, and now—_now_ I see it more than ever. Because when something happens and she tells me, I know she wishes so much that she could tell you. You're still the first person she thinks about in _anything_. She still loves you, James, and she misses you like hell."

James swallowed and took a deep breath. He wanted to believe Chelsea and what reason did this man have to lie to him? He wasn't gaining anything by telling his competition that the prize wanted to be won by James. So what was his motivation?

"And it's not over when the two people in question are in worse condition apart than they are when they are together." Chelsea smiled genuinely.

James shook his head. "I can't convince her to come back. I've already tried."

Chelsea nodded in understanding.

"You don't convince a person who uses the word _can't_ when describing their own feelings. It's impossible." James said. "Because when they say they can't, the realization just crushes you, like an actual iron fist compressing your body into a small _nothing_."

Chelsea whistled. "Wow, and the winner of dramatic speak goes to…"

James looked annoyed. "You know what I'm trying to say."

"I do." Chelsea nodded. "But that doesn't mean there's _nothing_ you can do."

"Right." _Doubtful_.

"James, my friend," Chelsea said in a light-hearted manner, "you're talking to the guy who faked his own death and came back alright. There is always _something_ can you do."

OooOooO

_A/N:_ Do I deserve a review or don't I?


	28. About Auror Headquarters

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Auror Headquarters, Brown Blvd, and the Pit

**Chapter Began:** Saturday, April 5, 2008

**Chapter Finished:** Saturday, April 19, 2008

**Chapter Published:** Saturday, April 19, 2008

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Author's Note:** Last installment was not a chapter. It was the second part of Chapter Twenty-Five, told through the eyes of James. This next chapter was painfully, incredibility, excruciatingly difficult for me to write. It was like—pulling out teeth without Novocain or anything to stop it from hurting. So, with that said, I understand everyone has strong feelings about how chapters should be written and how certain storylines should be closed but I'm asking you with a desperate kind of politeness to be softer on me than you would normally be. This will be the only time I ask this of you but because I worked really, really hard—I pray you guys will show mercy when you tell me what you thought about this chapter.

And if you do that, I promise you I will write the last few chapters of this story amazingly, the best love story ending I have ever written. Just show a little mercy?

_Chapter Twenty-Six: About Auror Headquarters, Brown Blvd, and the Pit_

_Malfoy Manor – Saturday – 7:13 p.m_

Lucius Malfoy strongly hated having people roam about unattended in his home, darkly nicknamed the Malfoy Manor by Dolohov and Goyle, almost as much as he disliked being completely unable to maneuver his own situation. It seemed that over the last three months, things had gone terribly astray for the blonde-haired ice beauty. Between losing the best whore to ever walk into his lair a few miles from the PAU campus and getting shot and jailed for kidnap and torture, the simple deduction was that Lucius Malfoy's life sucked and he simply wasn't getting paid enough to bend over on his knees and get fucked over by everyone. It just wasn't happening.

"Malfoy," a voice hissed from inside his office quarters. The door was opened ajar and Lucius could tell that He had lit up the fireplace because yellows and oranges bounced off the cold, wooden floorboards beneath his black-booted feet. "Please, invite yourself in."

Lucius pushed the heavy door open and stepped agilely inside. He closed the door behind him, understanding that his master loved privacy. When he turned and saw that his master was pleased, Lucius fought the urge to smirk smugly. Lord Voldemort, called that by the Death Eaters because of the many times he'd cheated death, hated vanity among his followers. There was a code of conduct, even among the dirtiest, that needed to be followed in their master's presence.

"My Lord," Lucius bowed his head, carefully keeping his eyes to the floor until he was so properly addressed. "Avery and Carrow said you sent for me."

"Yes…" His master's voice sounded lazy but still held that undeniable force of power. "I have things to discuss with you, Lucius. Lift your head."

Lucius slowly lifted his head and met the dead eyes of his master. He stood straight and waited until his Lord addressed him again. It was a difficult task to look into Lord Voldemort's eyes for longer than a half of a second, and it was because his eyes were so cold, so dead, so _evil_. His enemies had called Lucius many things in his lifetime but Lucius contented himself with the fact that he could walk among people and still be granted access. His master didn't have that mobility. Lord Voldemort's face was cut into just so, scars covered every inch, eyes were bloodshot, but there was a power and influence in that face that was so frighteningly definitive that those eyes kept any pair of eyes locked in a mesmerizing gaze.

"Mulciber tells me that two young men visited our other home on Brown Boulevard just a few short days ago." Lord Voldemort's voice was soft when he spoke but it easily resonated throughout the circular room. The fireplace to Lucius's right blazed angrily after his master's last word.

"My Lord—" Lucius began but Lord Voldemort held a slow hand up to stop him.

"I am uninterested of your excuses, Lucius. The Potter and Jordan boys failed to enter the building, as I knew anyone would." Lord Voldemort paused a moment before continuing. "But, because the building is under your name in the estate office, I wish for you to handle the situation should anyone _else_ attempt to enter. As you know, I cannot afford for anyone to get his or her hands on the materials in that building."

"But, my Lord, don't you need me for the fight at—?" Lucius again was interrupted.

"You will do as I say and since you are not in a position to be granted favors easily, I strongly advise that you immediately follow my order. I will send Damek, Goyle, Rosier, and Wilkes with you. That should be sufficient. Handle the situation, Lucius." There was a dangerous tone in his voice.

"Do you not trust me with the battle, my Lord?" Lucius was careful to keep his voice calm and clear of any accusations. It sounded simple, innocent but even so, his master's death eyes narrowed.

"I have not disbanded or killed you for your disloyalty when you dispersed information to the P.I rat. I shall say that with time, Lucius, you will prove yourself to be—_adequate_ again." Lord Voldemort's thin lips curled around his white, inhuman teeth. "But I suppose I will allow for one or two secrets to slip through my lips about what will happen in the next twenty-four hours."

Lucius bowed his head briefly, "My lord?"

"Severus has just contacted Karkaroff with the information that Detective Alastor Moody has trusted him explicitly with the Book of Six. Severus will receive the Book early tomorrow morning and deliver it to me at the Pit later in the afternoon." Lord Voldemort sounded pleased. "I, along with a select few, will retrieve the Book and begin the long-awaited process of the building the business I have killed many people for over the last twenty years." There was a slight pause. "Which will make your job in protecting the building on Brown Boulevard much more meaningful to my cause should anyone try to penetrate those walls a second time, don't you think?"

Lucius felt his stomach dip in excitement. For a split second, he saw a way to regain his master's trust. "Yes, my Lord."

"And you do not want to deny me my accomplishment, right, Lucius?"

Lucius stiffened at the knowing tone in his master's voice. "No, my Lord."

"And you will not, correct?"

Lucius breathed in slowly. "I will not, my Lord."

OooOooO

_Downtown Los Angeles Correctional Facility – Friday – 11:46 a.m_

_When he first laid eyes on her, his first instinct was to slap the bitch clear across her face. She was the reason he was in the mess of being jailed in the first place. But with guards surrounding them and the chains cuffing him to his chair in the middle of the bright room, he couldn't move anything but his head from side to side. She entered with the P.I rat and… Severus? _

"_How is jail life treating you?" The detective spoke first. _

_Lucius glared but didn't speak. _

"_You know, a few more weeks of this and your pretty grey eyes are going to start to look not so pretty anymore." _

_Lucius narrowed his eyes and finally spoke, "Pretty? Is that why you're a grumpy, old bachelor? Because you're homosexual?"_

_The old detective's eyes darkened but he nodded to the guards who were about to punch Lucius upside the head. They stopped and when the detective requested that his visitors be alone with Lucius, they nodded and quickly exited the room. Lucius was alone with his enemies and he was completely helpless to do anything about it. _

"_I know a few people who can help you out with that problem." Lucius continued. _

_The detective nodded to Snape who stepped forward and backhanded Lucius across the face. His head thrashed to the side with the force of the punch and he could feel a little blood dribble down his lip. He met Snape's eyes slowly and licked the wound. _

"_Which side are you on?" Lucius frowned, glaring. _

"_He's on my side." The detective said calmly. "And so you'll be as well."_

"_No, I won't." Lucius shook his head, laughing. "I'm no one's bitch. Not like Evans used to be mine."_

_He saw the redhead in question stiffen at his words but ultimately, she stayed by Snape's side. _

"_That's a lie, Malfoy, and you know it." The detective smiled as well causing Lucius's grin to slip from his face. Why was the detective smiling? "You're Riddle's bitch. All of his followers are. Riddle tells you to do something, you do it. If you had a wife and he told you to kill her—"_

"_I probably would, because that whole having a wife thing doesn't sound like me." Lucius interrupted, enjoying himself despite his obvious disadvantages. "Look, if you've come down here to give me some kind of favor, I'm not with it."_

_The detective leaned forward against the table and looked deep into Lucius's eyes. "Let's take a look at where things will be in the next two days, shall we? Snape will tell your son of a bitch boss that he has the Book of Six. All your little friends and your boss, included, will be shipped to a high security prison that allows for zero bullshit when we crack down on this case. And while all of this is happening, you'll be sitting in this correctional facility, rotting away and reminiscing about the good old days when you used to be king of all this drug trafficking crap."_

_Lucius saw that Detective Moody wasn't lying. _

"_Your side is going to lose, Malfoy. Do you really want to be vulnerable for when that happens? We're not just talking about setting you free of those chains that are eating away at your lotion-rubbed flesh. We're talking about complete immunity from all the punishments that will be enforced on all your Death Eater buddies. Your beloved Voldemort being at the top. All you have to do is work on our side until we bust the evidence on Brown Boulevard."_

_Lucius looked from the Detective to Snape. _

_Snape smirked. "It sounds good to you, doesn't it?"_

_The detective smiled as well. "What do you say? Are you understanding me?"_

_Lucius nodded briefly after minutes of going back and forth in his mind of possibilities that could result in his death. If this detective was as serious as he looked and sounded, his best bet was to join forces temporarily with the P.I rat. _

"_Good. Severus will release you with the deputy out front. You are to immediately return to Riddle, let him know of what Severus has done for you, and you are to say absolutely nothing of what was discussed today, do you understand me?"_

_Lucius nodded again but his eyes met emerald eyes._

_She smirked and stepped forward. "Looks like you're my bitch now, huh?"_

_Lucius tilted his head. "My whore finally speaks. Tell me, Lily, why did you make the trip all the way down here if you were only going to ask me such a silly, ridiculous question?"_

_She stepped closer to him, looking sweet and innocent before she swung her arm back and punched him square in the face. He never saw it coming and what was worse, it hurt like hell. His head swung back and the busted lip that he had began to bleed again. His nose felt broken and he could barely make out her form through his tears of shock. _

"_Make sure you don't say shit to Riddle or next time I see you, it won't be my fist in your face." _

OooOooO

_Auror Headquarters – Sunday – 2:19 p.m_

Annette Potter watched her daughter from her seat on the couch play with Sirius's hands idly. The young couple seemed completely enthralled with one another, leaning toward the other and speaking in low voices. Sirius sat in a low chair, holding Bella between his knees as she stood over him. Annette could admit that the two looked in love, as she and Nicolas were, and mirrored each other's body language as James and Lily still did.

The older woman wasn't sure what would become of her son and her adopted daughter but as she watched the other darker couple engage in a particularly heated embrace, she wondered how she had overlooked such passion between her daughter and Sirius. They were as much young and in love as James and Lily were, or had been, or whatever. And this broke Annette's heart because in just a few moments, all of their lives would probably be shattered.

Things were happening too fast, Annette thought, and she was just as powerless to stop it as her own children were.

OooOooO

_Auror Headquarters – Thursday – 8:25 p.m_

_She watched in amazement, with the others, as the Death Eater standing beside Sirius slowly pulled off his mask. She had seen the man before. Detective Moody had taken him into custody in the early stages of the investigation months ago and had released him because there was no evidence to hold against him. Why was he standing here now with everyone? And why wasn't Detective Moody arresting him? And—why had Sirius come back with him?_

"_That's Severus Snape!" Her son exclaimed as he entered with another dark-haired man she couldn't remember the name of from the courtyard out back. Both Remus and this young man had to hold James back as he pointed an accusatory finger at the man called Severus Snape. "You're a Death Eater!"_

"_Calm down, Prongs," Sirius said gruffly, glaring sideways at Severus Snape. "I was told to retrieve him."_

"_Retrieve…?" Remus frowned in confusion. _

_The oldest man there, Albus—Albus Dumbledore, stepped forward tiredly and said in a definitive tone, "There will be time for explanations later. For now, it will be sufficient to say that Severus is on our side. No need to question it. He, as well as Chelsea, has been working under cover for the cause for over three years. You can trust him. I promise you that."_

_Annette gazed with surprise when she saw Detective Moody nod briefly once. _

"_What is your plan, Albus?" Detective Moody wondered. _

"_Well, it is clear we must act soon. How soon I am not—"_

_Severus Snape cleared his throat, effectively stopping Albus Dumbledore from speaking. "Dumbledore, I come with valuable news. Voldemort has ordered that all Death Eaters actively search for the Book of Six. He has quadrupled his efforts and he plans to monitor Miss Evans' moves on a daily basis. Should anyone bring the Book of Six to him, rewards will be unimaginable, he promises."_

"_What rewards?" she asked aloud. What rewards could such a monster bring to other human beings? _

"_It wasn't clear." Severus answered her, his lips barely moving. _

"_But your idea is that _you_ bring the Book of Six to him?" Detective Moody's eyebrows shot up, challengingly. _

"_It shall be I…" The dark-haired man's voice trailed off, thoughtfully. "He plans to act as soon as the book is in his hands."_

"_How do we know if we give you the Book of Six, you'll actually use it to benefit our fight against Riddle?" Remus asked, narrowing his eyes. _

"_No questions shall be asked regarding Severus' loyalty. He has shown to me on more than many occasions where his legions lie. We shall give the Book of Six to Severus—"_

_Detective Moody shook his head and with good reason, Annette thought to herself. "Albus…"_

"_If we are to fight and win successfully in this long battle, Alastor, we are to use every resource we have. Now, I believe one of those resources sits, rotting away in a cell downtown. I believe it would be useful to us if he were to be persuaded to ally himself with us temporarily. Give him whatever bribe you can think of. By now, Riddle has heard already of Malfoy's slight slip up earlier in the week. When the time comes, Malfoy will be placed exactly where we'll need him."_

"_Brown Boulevard?" Jordan questioned, rubbing his hands together. "I like the sound of that."_

"_I want to go." Lily said suddenly which caused all pairs of eyes to look at her. "I want to come if you guys go downtown."_

"_I don't—" Moody started to say but Dumbledore shook his head. _

"_I think that's a lovely idea." Dumbledore looked between Detective Moody and Severus Snape. "She will ride with you downtown tomorrow morning." There was a pause, which everyone seemed to take as silent acceptance before Dumbledore continued. "In the meantime, we must determine where the fight will be across the city."_

"_The fight?" Annette echoed, completely confused. _

"_Yes, in three locations… Riddle will see to it that we get distracted. We mustn't let that happen. Alastor, you will need to call and alert an old friend who still works for the LAPD. I am sure he'll be more than happy to help and enlist units in at least two of our specified locations."_

_Chelsea frowned. "Which locations?"_

"_Voldemort wants the Book of Six received at the Pit." Severus answered quietly. _

"_One location, two more to go." Sirius said. "What other location?"_

"_Brown Boulevard." Jordan replied with a grin. "That's where our boy, Malfoy, will be. Assuming he accepts the inevitable."_

"_Last one…" Remus trailed off. _

"_Well, we still hold one of the Death Eaters right?" Annette said suddenly. "I mean, this young man you said worked directly beneath Riddle. I'm assuming he's a lot more important to Riddle's schemes than he seems to let on." _

_Dumbledore smiled appreciatively at her. "You are very clever, Mrs. Potter."_

_Annette felt her face burn red but she smiled back. "Thank you, Mr. Dumbledore."_

"_That is something clever…" Severus said. "Riddle remarked earlier in the day that no news came of Pettigrew spilling information to the Headquarters. He sounded pleased and just after we spoke, he sent for Karkaroff, Mulciber, and Yaxley."_

"_What does that mean?" James frowned deeply. _

_"It means that the third location will be right here. The Auror Headquarters. They're planning to rescue Pettigrew."_

_Severus shook his head. "Voldemort wouldn't send his toughest Death Eaters to rescue Pettigrew."_

_Dumbledore nodded. "Which means we'll need to figure out where everyone here will be needed in the fight."_

OooOooO

_Auror Headquarters – Sunday – 2:24 p.m_

And they had decided to place Annette here at the Headquarters, where they assumed would be the least dangerous of all three locations. The older woman was here with her daughter, Sirius, Remus, and Moody's two best private investigators, Kingsley and Tonks. They sat there waiting while everyone else was split up between the other two, more dangerous locations. Her only son was out there right then and it was all she could do to fight against her motherly instincts.

The first smashing of glass overhead caused everyone in the lobby to jump and pick up their weapons. Annette held, with shaking hands, the gun she'd earlier been taught to hold, cock, and fire. She had never fired a gun before and never thought she would have to. But when she heard the first round of bullets go off, she swallowed and ducked for cover. She barely had time to see if Bella and Sirius retreated behind their cover before she found herself in the middle of a deadly battle.

OooOooO

_Auror Headquarters – Friday – 4:49 p.m_

_Lily inhaled slowly when she saw James stop just outside the double French doors leading into the front lobby. She had been sitting outside, watching the waterfall silently as she thought over the events earlier in the day when she had accompanied Snape and Moody to the correctional facility downtown. Her knuckles still hurt from the punch she had delivered and her other hand cradled the injured hand. She had been too proud to show Moody or Snape the damaged knuckles so when James's gaze followed her nervous motions, she tried to hide the injured hand. _

_He stepped forward immediately, his hands gently taking her hand in his to examine. "What did you do?"_

_Lily shrugged helplessly, too tired to fully explain and so she only said, "I punched the bastard."_

_James glanced to look into her eyes. They both were silent for a complete minute, with his fingers carefully caressing her knuckles. She reveled in his touch because she hadn't felt him in days. She wanted to feel more of him but she fanned down those flames immediately and pulled her hand from his. She smiled nervously at him. _

"_Are you ready for what's coming?" _

_James scowled and stepped back, placing his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. "I guess. I'm not too clear about what's coming."_

_Lily shrugged, feeling for the first time relaxed in James's presence. "Neither am I."_

"_You're more clear on what you're supposed to be doing than I am." He answered roughly. "I still don't know if I like it."_

_She smiled slowly at his over-protectiveness. She felt it for him, too. That need to protect, to shelter, to shield. She wished they had been assigned the same location so she could keep a closer eye on him. Now she would only hear of his condition through cell phone calls. That way didn't fit for the emptiness she felt—for James, the love of her life. _

"_James, I'll be fine." She replied easily. "It's not like I haven't been here before."_

_He stared into her eyes without saying anything. Once again, she lost her breath. She didn't know how it happened always when he was around but it did and she was at a loss to explain it. She stood up suddenly from her spot and crossed the distance between them to stand in front of him. _

"_But you haven't." She took a deep breath. "And I don't want anything to happen to you. Promise me you'll be alright. Promise me I'll see you after all this is finished." _

_James shook his head. "Lily…"_

_Her fingers stopped his lips from moving. He tried to speak but she shook her head and whispered quietly, as she leaned upward, on her tiptoes, "James, I need to hear you promise."_

_She saw his Adam's apple shift up and down as he swallowed before he nodded. "Lily, I promise we'll see each other after all this is finished."_

_It was a promise that made little difference because life would be what life would be but it helped a little bit to stop the fear and aching thought of never being able to see James again. And because the split second was euphoric for Lily, she bent up the rest of the way to meet his lips with hers in what was supposed to be a thank you kiss. But she could tell that they had both hungered for each other for days now. They were starved for one another. _

_When she felt James's tongue trying to push through the seam of her lips, she opened her mouth immediately. In swept his tongue and her tongue thrust out to caress his. Her arms came up around the base of his neck and she clung to him desperately. His hands wrapped around her waist and hauled her up closer against him before they both slowly parted. Their lips still nibbled idly together before James set her back away from him with a deep breath. _

"_Is that what I get if we see each other after this is over?" James asked, his voice husky with passion. _

_She could've played it cool, or completely shut him down, but that last kiss left her in no mood to play games with him. She nodded, chewing on her lower lip. "It is." She leaned up and gave him a slow kiss on his cheek before leaning back and gazing into his eyes, saying firmly, "Make it home in one piece, Potter or else."_

_She held his gaze for a second longer before making her way back into the building. _

OooOooO

_The Pit – Sunday – 2:31 p.m_

Lily tried to keep the last memory of her and James' last private conversation in her mind as she entered the deepest den ahead of Snape. The tunnel started off wide and then gradually, as they pushed further in, narrowed to the point where Lily had to squeeze and push herself through the lit opening ahead. She stumbled a bit but as she brushed off the dirt on her jacket, she realized she and Snape were not alone.

Around them stood four hooded figures. Masks covered the Death Eaters' faces. Lily stole a glance at Snape who stared straight ahead, his black eyes narrowing. He shifted slightly so that he stood closer to Lily and nudged her discreetly. Nervously, she looked to where he was staring and saw, with fear doing somersaults in her gut, a very thin, darkly dressed man stand slowly from his throne-like chair. For a second, she saw Lucius but when she blinked rapidly to clear her flashback, she saw the man in front of her looked nothing like Lucius. In fact, he looked nothing like a _man_.

And she knew this was Tom Riddle A.K.A the revered "Lord Voldemort."

OooOooO

_Auror Headquarters – Saturday – 3:48 p.m_

"_So, is it set then?" Chelsea questioned as everyone sat in the lobby, motionless. He stood in front of everyone in the middle of the large circle with weapons to his one side and maps and other such things to his other. He had been assigned by Dumbledore to come up with the skeletal strategy for the next day. So far, everything was going according to plan. Malfoy had been released earlier that day and Snape had told Riddle that he would deliver the Book of Six the next afternoon. They knew where their fights were going to be… it had just been a matter of placement. _

_Dumbledore was the first to answer and he did so with a smile. "Chelsea, this is spectacular planning."_

_Detective Moody nodded his head in agreement, overlooking his map. "This is a little rough around the edges but I can see the start of brilliance. Good work, boy."_

_Chelsea looked at Snape expectantly. "Think you'll be able to perform a little acting and keep Lily out of danger?" _

_Snape bristled. "I think better than _you_ could three years ago."_

_Chelsea shifted but Dumbledore cleared his throat. This stopped any retort that Chelsea could come up with and he forced himself to refocus on the task at hand. "Now, I've split everyone according to both my reports and Snape's records of strengths and weaknesses due to each Death Eater. Everyone obviously besides Lily who will be escorted by Snape with the Book of Six—"_

"_Why?" Bella interrupted quietly. "I mean—isn't that sort of just waving danger in Lily's face?"_

"_I agree." Remus nodded. "If it's true that Riddle has been searching for the Book of Six and Lily's had it all along…"_

"—_Then he would stop at nothing to get it." Jordan agreed. "He'll kill her once he has the book if you lead her right to him."_

"_But strategically—that places Snape at a higher advantage." Chelsea interrupted, slightly annoyed. "If we can keep Riddle from knowing that Snape has been working with us all along, then it'll increase the shock impact tremendously. That matters when dealing with Riddle."_

"_So, you're willing to risk her life to see about a little strategy?" James gritted his teeth, glaring at the other man. "That's disgusting."_

"_Calm." Dumbledore interrupted. "Chelsea's plan will do for now. Severus will bring the Book of Six to Riddle and Lily, as well. With Alastor and our old friends from LAPD close behind, we'll ensure that nothing comes to harm Miss Evans, not even Riddle." _

"_That's a pretty flimsy promise, old man," James muttered under his breath, folding his arms. _

_Chelsea shook his head in disbelief before continuing. "So that leaves Mrs. Potter, Black, Bella, Lupin, your two primary detectives," Chelsea nodded to Moody, "and a few officers from LAPD. It's Karkaroff, Mulciber, and Yaxley. They'll just want to play around…"_

"_What, exactly, is meant by playing around?" Annette asked softly. _

"_Torture." Jordan nodded morosely. "They won't kill you. But they'll make you hurt."_

"_And you'll be placing us in that situation?" _

_Chelsea paused. "It's the only way, ma'am." _

_Detective Moody gave her a comforting crooked smile. "Kingsley and Tonks are two of the best private investigators I've ever worked with. They'll make you'll make it out alive. Better than that, they'll make sure you won't have to do much. They're efficient like that."_

_Snape cracked a smile. "Besides, the three of them are jokes compared to what the teams on Brown Boulevard and the Pit will be handling. _You'll_ be able to take down one of them, Mrs. Potter."_

_Annette didn't seem too certain but didn't question it further. _

"_The team on Brown Boulevard… Potter, Jordan, Dumbledore, and our friends with the LAPD. And the rest will pile up at the Pit. Remember to keep a safe distance between each of us and do the assigned job on your sheet." Chelsea paused for a full second before nodding. "You're all dismissed."_

OooOooO

_Brown Boulevard – Sunday – 2:37 p.m_

"James, downstairs, _go_!"

James jumped over the fighting pair on the floor of the building's kitchen. He felt the shattered glass from the broken kitchen door and the cabinets crunching beneath his running sneakers. Before he turned the corner, he glanced back at Jordan struggling with a Death Eater on the floor. He hesitated and almost went back to help Jordan but the darker man fighting shouted again for him to run downstairs.

So James did run.

He ran right from the kitchen down the hallway to the basement door. He struggled with the door and when he felt the door almost open, he felt someone punch him in his side. He groaned from the shock and turned to see a Death Eater in front of him. Blows after blows left James crawling on the floor, holding his bandaged side, and trying to get away, or find something he could hit the Death Eater with. When he felt the Death Eater bend to pick him up, he turned on his back and kicked the figure with all his strength.

The Death Eater stumbled to the ground backwards and James stood up, shakily. His breathing came jaggedly and he stumbled over to the Death Eater recovering from his kick. James glared down at the Death Eater and began kicking the figure over and over until he fell to the floor unconscious. James bent down and patted the masked Death Eater for a weapon. When he found one hidden in the dark cloak, he took it and placed it under his belt attached to his back.

He turned toward the basement door again and kicked it open. It swung back and forth as James climbed down the steepest step. He took out the stolen gun and cocked it, holding the weapon like Chelsea and Jordan had taught him earlier the previous day. He had been told that at the Brown Boulevard location, his task was paramount to the success of the mission. He and Jordan were to initiate the break-in and deal with any Death Eaters inside. James was to be the running man, the one who got to the gold and called everyone out, while Jordan was to be his spot, his shield.

As James stepped onto the stone floor, he glanced around at the red-lit room. His hand fished around for a light switch and he soon found one by the side of the stairs. When he saw all that was in front of him in the basement, he quickly went into his coat pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Just as he was dialing the number, he felt someone whack him on the head from behind.

And then all he saw were the black boots of a person before he passed out.

OooOooO

_The Pit – Sunday – 2:45 p.m_

"My Lord, wouldn't it be safer if you examined the Book elsewhere?" One of the Death Eaters wondered, looking between Snape and Lily anxiously. "This place seems too dangerous for the secrets of that Book to be exposed here."

"Nonsense, Dolohov," Riddle waved his servant down. "I wish to view it now."

"What about the girl, my Lord?" The other Death Eater motioned to Lily.

Riddle paused in his actions of opening the book and then smirked. He set the Book down slowly and turned to carefully look at Lily. His red gaze searched her for something before he looked at Snape who stood unmoving beside her.

"You have done well by me, Snape," Riddle approved, "now I wish for you to kill her."

OooOooO

_Auror Headquarters – 2:46 p.m_

Annette breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Kingsley and Tonks slap handcuffs on the men responsible for causing so much damage in the lobby. She leaned back against the counter, holding her stomach in an effort to keep from passing out. The shooting only lasted for a part of the time until Kingsley, Sirius, and Remus were able to somehow disarm each Death Eater one by one. Then, it had been a matter of containing all three Death Eaters and keeping them away from Pettigrew.

It was finally over with. At least on their end.

Worry rushed to Annette's gut as she thought about the other two fights, which were predicted to last longer than the one at Auror Headquarters. She wondered about the others and hoped that they were safe. And she worried about her son.

OooOooO

_Brown Boulevard – 3:00 p.m_

"Hey, playboy…"

James winced as he began to open his eyes. The first thing he realized was Jordan kneeling above him, waving his dark hands in James's face and wiggling his fingers. Next, he started to remember what had happened, how he had been in the basement but someone had knocked him out. But how had he gotten from the basement to—to lying out on the front lawn of the house on Brown Boulevard?

He sat up suddenly and completely regretted it.

Jordan immediately placed his hand on James's shoulder to steady him. "Whoa, there, James. One step at a time, okay?"

James frowned, glancing at the commotion going on around them. "What happened? Why am I—?"

"You found all the evidence we needed you to find." Jordan smiled widely. "_Everything_."

"Someone _hit_ me." James looked at the other man expectantly. "How am I out here?"

"Oh." Jordan sat back on his feet and folded his arms across his chest. "Malfoy tried to have a go at you but don't worry. Just after he knocked you out, I tackled him to the ground and had myself a good old time."

"And the others?" James struggled to stand up, though it felt like there were a ton of bricks weighing around in his head. He looked around, amazed to see the evidence being taken out by cops everywhere. Police sirens and news reporters were flooding the scene and there he had been passed out on the front lawn while all of that was going on.

"Dumbledore got a call from Kingsley just ten minutes ago. They arrested the Death Eaters and everyone there is fine. Your mother's a little shaken up though." Jordan answered, still looking pleased. He looked beaten up but James could tell that he had enjoyed the fight.

"And at the Pit? What happened there?" James gritted his teeth, partially in pain but mostly because he was strongly scared that something could have happened to Lily and if that happened…

Jordan walked with him toward the place where everyone was trying to get a look at the arrested Death Eaters being escorted out of the house and into police cars. "We're not certain yet. You know we had to get the evidence before we could call Moody to give him the thumbs up on busting Riddle. About the time I carried you out of the house, Dumbledore called to give the go. I guess, maybe that's where he is right now. Calling to see how everything there went."

James glanced around when he heard his name being called. He saw his mother, sister, and friends running toward him from detective cars. He tried to smile, tried to look happy to see them but without knowing what happened to Lily, he was certain his smile came off crooked. His sister was the first to reach him and she jumped on him, hugging him tightly. He embraced her with a small smile and then let her go to hug his mother.

Annette kissed him on his cheek and then touched the same spot. "Your father is on his way."

James winced, knowing she would be in more trouble than he would be. "Is he more upset than the time I let my girlfriend sleep at the apartment without him knowing about it or less upset?"

Annette rolled her eyes.

"Prongs!" Sirius and Remus simultaneously hugged James, making him laugh.

"How was your fight?" James asked when everyone was done hugging him.

Sirius scratched his head. "Well, Prongs, I think I could definitely be a cop. I was pretty good at it. Moony, too."

Bella folded her arms across her chest. "I don't think I would let you become a cop."

Annette nodded. "I second that. Much too dangerous."

Jordan slapped James on the back, grinning. "Well, we were pretty good at it too. Though, James was out for the last part of it. He kind of got knocked hard in the head."

"Really?" Bella's eyes widened. "By who?"

James glared at the darker man but answered his sister. "Malfoy. Turns out he wants to go to jail for the rest of his life."

"That's too bad." Annette shook her head. "I had such high hopes that he would undergo such drastic reformations."

"Moody has recently contacted me with results from the Pit."

Everyone turned to see Dumbledore stop to stand beside him or her.

Dumbledore smiled slowly. "Riddle is under arrest with no chance of bail at this point. His comrades are also under arrest and everything we set out to do was successful."

Sirius smiled brightly. "That's great."

"It is." Annette agreed with a smile of her own.

"Are they on their way here to see the damage you guys did?" Bella wondered.

Dumbledore's smile faltered as his eyes ticked to James before he took a deep breath. "No. I'm afraid that when Moody and Chelsea entered Riddle's den, they found a—a frantic Severus holding Lily in his arms. Riddle and his men were about to finish Severus and Lily off when our men entered and stopped what could have been a brutal execution."

Everyone's smile died immediately.

"So, what happened?" Remus asked, his voice already thick with emotion.

"Well, I'm afraid our next trip will be to the hospital so that we may all find out together."

OooOooO

_A/N:_ There should be another chapter to make up for this one very, very soon. I'm starting it as soon as this one is published. But in the mean time, send me a review. Anything. I'm all ears.


	29. About Hope and Mistakes

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Hope and Mistakes

**Chapter Began:** Saturday, April 19, 2008

**Chapter Finished:** Monday, April 21, 2008

**Chapter Published:** Monday, April 21, 2008

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer: **None of the HP characters are mine.

**Author's Note:** Last chapter, not bad. Still, I think it was the worst chapter I have ever written of this story. Hopefully, with this chapter I make it up.

And thank you all so much for the support I have received recently. This one is for you guys!

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: About Hope and Mistakes**

_When James opened his eyes, he felt a hard surface beneath his back. He sat up slowly to look around and saw that he was sitting on an abandoned beach yards away from the waves crashing along the coastline. The sun was just beginning to rise, seagulls were flying above, and the sand stones were winking at him off miles and miles of beach. He frowned, rubbing his eyes and wondering how he got from the hospital to—this place._

_Slowly, he stood up and brushed the sand from his legs. It was then he realized that he wore only his black bathing suit shorts. Frowning, he began to walk down toward the water and he looked around for any signs of other people, maybe taking their morning jogs or walking their dogs, but he saw no one. Tentatively, he pushed one of his feet into the water and reveled in how cold it felt against his warm skin._

_"Do you like the water?"_

_James whirled around at the sound of her voice and when he saw her, he almost lost his breath. She was beautiful. Her glorious red hair blew gently around her face, though there was no wind, and her smooth skin sparkled beneath the light's reflection off the water. She wore a bikini with a light fabric wrapped loosely around her slim hips. She was smiling at him in a way he had wished she would for a long time._

_"It's cold and I like that." He answered and when she stepped closer, his arms encircled around her shoulders, hugging her to him intimately. He turned his head to kiss her on her hairline just as he felt her arms wrap around his middle. "What about you? Do you like it?"_

_He felt her inhale and exhale slowly. "I always like it. I just didn't know if you would."_

_He motioned to the scene. "What is this place?"_

_His question was met with a long silence. He could feel her arms tightening around his midsection before she pulled away to put some distance between them. He allowed her the space but couldn't stop the yearning in his gut that told him he absolutely needed her to be near. He clenched his hands to keep from reaching for her and instead focused on the pretty sight surrounding him._

_"This was the place my mother told me they spread my father's ashes when he died."_

_Her answer was quiet but he heard her clearly. When he looked at her, he saw an unbelievable sadness but beauty in her that he thought he had discovered before but apparently had not. The sight of her standing in front of him in this place made it impossible for him to even dream of letting her go, made it impossible for him to remember a life,_ his _life without her in it. It pained him so and he blinked back his emotions before he embarrassed himself further in her presence._

_She looked at him with a small smile. "I've always wanted to come back here to see it for myself. I'm glad you're here with me."_

_He stepped closer to her and shook his head. "I don't know how we got here. I mean, we're here but I don't understand—"_

_He felt her fingers on his lips, keeping him from speaking any more. He looked into her green eyes and waited until she released him. She did and he exhaled loudly, causing her to roll her eyes. She placed her hand in his and guided him along the shore, walking ahead without looking back to see his confused expression. He didn't question anymore, however, and neither did she. Not until they reached a place where the waves crashed against rocks._

_"My father took me here when I was really small." She began, her voice still quiet but clear. "Every year, we'd come here and watch the sun rise and set. We'd make assumptions about people's lives and decisions, just for sheer fun. But I'll never forget the day he took me here one last time and handed me that book."_

_James's eyes widened when he saw the Book of Six appear before his eyes on a long, smooth, black rock. His hand went out to grab it but before he could make contact, the book disappeared again. Confused, he stared at Lily who shook her head and turned so that she could lean against that same black rock. He swallowed and leaned on the rock with her, staring out over the gorgeous beach._

_"The day he gave me that book was the day my life began to end." She said. "That's what I told myself every day after I moved away from here. He shouldn't have given it to me. He should've burned it… but how could he know?" She looked at him with sadness. "How could he know that a book he meant to give to me to start a great life would be the beginning of a life filled with sadness, with pain, with murder?"_

_His heart tightened, feeling her despair clot his lungs. "He couldn't have known."_

_She smiled in irony. "That's what I always hoped."_

_"Lily—"_

_She tilted her head and turned to him suddenly. "You always do that."_

_He was confused. "Do what?"_

_"When you say my name, it's like—it's like all your everything is poured into one word. Like my name_ means _your everything."_

_He felt his ears burn red in embarrassment. How could she know that? He couldn't speak though._

_She shook her head, looking away. "It's impossible."_

_"Why is it impossible?" James wondered._

_"Because—because you're_ my _everything." She answered softly. "Look at where we are, where I am. And I'm here because you believed in me, because you were dumb enough to let me sleep in your apartment and then even more stupid when you decided to sleep with me and be in a relationship with me. It's so obvious what you're doing for me, what you're always doing for me."_

_James frowned and asked aloud, "What?"_

_"You really are a little slow, James." She fixed him with an irritated look but still looked beautiful even with the frown of disapproval. "It took me so long to get here, to be able to stand here on this beach and to look out over the same water that my father and I looked out at for eight years before he died. And to stand here on this same beach that I was told by my mother's second husband to join my father here in death. And I'm doing it because you're here, because you're with me."_

_James was silent, taking in the new revelations. Lily's father had been cremated and his ashes had been spread over this beach. Even though he was still confused as to why they weren't at the hospital, he understood now the significance of being here. And now, he was listening to Lily tell him why she was able to come back to this place and it was because of him. But she didn't seem so happy in that revelation and he wanted to know why._

_"You do so much more for me than I do for you." Lily answered the question in his head as she stared at him. There was longing in her eyes and he was sure that same longing was reflected in his own eyes. "Wouldn't it be great that after all this is over with, I can come back to you as a wholesome individual, as someone that doesn't need you more than you need me? Wouldn't that be terrific?"_

_He struggled with the words in his head. "How do you need me more than I need you?"_

_She swallowed. "I just do."_

_He stepped closer to her and clenched his jaw before asking, "And what's wrong?"_

_"I love you so much, James, I really do. Way more than I've ever told you because I feel like—I feel like the scales are so uneven when it comes to us. I feel like you're way up there and I'm here and no matter what I do, it's like I can never reach you. Like I can never satisfy you because you're too good—because you're better than me—"_

_"No." James said._

_"_Yes_." Her voice was firm. "My biggest fear when it comes to us is that one day, you're going to look at me and all you're going to feel is disappointment or regret. Like you could've done way better than me and I guess—I guess I figured it out. I need to become an independent individual because when—_if _that day comes, I'm going to need to be able to handle myself. I'm going to need to be okay with myself. Without you."_

_"Lily, that day will never come, okay?" His hands were gripping her shoulders. "I am—so proud of you. And yes, look at where you were but look at where you're going!"_

_"Out there if they don't get this cold, hard thing out of my chest." She nodded toward the ocean._

_"They'll get it out." James said firmly, without looking to where her eyes wandered. "But you have to trust that things will be okay, that we'll be okay."_

_"And you?" Lily asked quietly as he let her go. "If I go—"_

_"Lily—" He said in a warning tone but she continued anyways._

_"If I go, will you be okay? This is part of the reason you're here, you know, so you should just answer the question." Lily said, her eyes darkening as they settled on his again._

_He fidgeted and then answered reluctantly, "I don't—I don't know."_

_One of her hands came up to caress the side of his cheek. "Yes. Yes, you_ do _know. But don't do it, okay?"_

_He tore his gaze from her, shame welling in every fiber of his being. Yes, he did know what he would do if she were to go. It hadn't occurred to him much before but life without Lily seemed too dark, too hopeless. If something happened to her, if they weren't able to help her, his plan was simple. It was then he realized that all he wanted was for her to live, even if she lived the rest of her life out without him, he would be okay knowing she was alive. Knowing she wasn't… He was preparing himself to tell her when he met her gaze again and saw that her body standing in front of him was dimming in and out._

_"What's happening?" His hand came up to touch her but she shook her head and that gesture effectively stopped any contact he intended._

_"You're waking up." Her smile was very bright as she answered him._

_He frowned. "Waking up?"_

_"Yes." A beautiful laugh escaped between her lips and she looked at him with all boldness in her eyes. "I love you, James Potter. I will_ always _love you. I won't be long."_

_"I love you, too, Li—"_

OooOooO

"—ly."

James heard the groggy sound of his own voice as he opened his eyes to find himself lying on a hospital bed. He frowned when he saw Sirius, Bella, and his mother come instantly to his side.

"Thank god, James!" His mother bent to kiss him on his forehead before leaning back with a smile.

"Jeez, mate, you had us scared." Sirius said.

He felt an intense throbbing in his head when he tried to sit up.

"You probably shouldn't do that." Bella winced in pain for him. "The doctors said that because you were hit upside the head so hard on Brown Boulevard, you suffered from a pretty serious concussion."

"How long have I been out?" James wondered, rubbing his head slowly and leaning back against the pillows.

"Just a few hours, honey." His mother answered, running her fingers through his hair. "You should be fine but there are guidelines the doctor needs to go over with you before you leave this room."

"Lily." James remembered suddenly. "Where is she? How is she? I need to see her."

Sirius held a hand over his shoulder to stop James from exiting his bed. "She was shot, mate. Real badly too."

James felt like the weight of a million men had pressed down on his chest. "Is she—?"

"She's alive." Bella said hastily, glancing between Sirius and Annette with a worried expression. "And she's holding up but… the doctors just took the bullet out that barely missed her right lung. She's lucky because they said if the bullet had been just a sixteenth of an inch to the left, her chances of survival from the scene of the accident to the hospital would've been close to zero."

"She's in a critical stage right now, James." His mother said softly. "They say the next forty-eight hours are crucial to her surviving this. If she makes it, her chances are increased. So, we're all just gathering together and praying for the best for her."

"We're glad you're alright though, Prongs." Sirius patted James's back before stepping back to wrap an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder.

"When can I see her?" James asked without looking at the others.

"She's supposed to be in stable condition before she can have any visitors." Bella answered. "They'll move her from the room she's in to another room, a more permanent room. Until then, it's been strongly recommended that we just stay away and let the doctors do what they need to do."

"What about Snape?" James remembered that Dumbledore had told all of them about Snape holding Lily and freaking out while a gun was put to his head.

The air instantly changed.

Sirius shifted, holding Bella closer. "Snape," his lips curled around the word, "has been released from the hospital. He had a few scratches, a few bruises but he's with Dumbledore and Chelsea right now."

"They'll be returning to the hospital shortly." Annette said quickly, sending Sirius a warning look. "They just needed to take care of a few things. How about you get some more rest, James, and we'll let you know anything new regarding Lily and her condition?"

James shook his head slowly, feeling it pound steadily. "No, I can't sleep. Not while I know Lily is here and she needs me—"

"James—" Bella started to say but his hand came up suddenly and hit the wall behind him. The three people before him jumped at his anger but remained silent.

"Where are my things?" James looked around.

"Maybe it's best if you—" Annette began but James paid no attention to his mother as he glanced around the room for his clothes.

Sirius held them up reluctantly. "James, we're telling you that there's nothing you can do. In fact, it's better for _your_ health if you stay here and rest. You've been through a lot in the last couple days and with that concussion, mate—"

James snatched his clothes away from his best friend and began putting his clothes on underneath the sheets and blankets of his hospital bed. Once he had his jeans on, he stepped onto the floor and pulled off his hospital garments. He paid no more attention to his mother, sister, or best friend as they exchanged worried glances between one another. He pulled on his shirt and turned to them reluctantly.

"I'm sorry but now that I'm awake, I'm not going to willingly sit here and wait for her to be okay." His voice was low and tired, even to his own ears as he spoke but he needed his family to understand that he wasn't going to be the type of guy that just sat idly by while the love of his life sat dying in some hospital room. He had to do something.

"You don't get it, James," Bella said, annoyance in her tone of voice as she looked up at him, "There is _nothing_ you can do. _Believe_ me, I know exactly how you feel. I wish there was some sort of magic I could do to make Lily's pain less but right now, all we can do is sit and wait."

"She's right, Prongs," Sirius shook his head. "Lily will come out of it when she's ready. In the mean time, you should focus on getting better yourself. You don't look so good."

"Please, honey," Annette placed a hand on his arm to keep him from leaving. "I know this is really hard for you but please don't do anything you're going to regret."

James frowned in confusion but gently pried his mother's hand off his arm and walked out of the hospital room, away from his family.

OooOooO

"James!"

James turned to the direction his name was being called from and he saw Jordan jogging toward him. He slowed his walking so that the other man could catch up but he kept his eyes ahead of him. He was determined to find the room that Lily was in so that he could be with her. He couldn't believe that his family expected him to just sit by. If he _was_ going to sit by, he was going to sit by _while_ holding his lover's hand.

"What's good, playboy?" Jordan patted his shoulder and began walking with him. "What are you doing up and about?"

"Trying to find Lily." James answered shortly, glancing around. "Do you know what room they're keeping her in?"

"Oh, no, man," Jordan frowned, stuffing his hands in his pockets and stopping. "The doctors took her out back just fifteen minutes ago. I guess something happened and they needed to make it better. Still, though, what are you doing up? I thought you had some concussion you were supposed to be watching out for now."

James sighed, running an irritated hand through his hair. "Jordan, I need you to tell me what happened at the Pit. I would ask Sirius but all he's concerned with is making sure I get rest."

"He's right." Jordan said, chewing on his lip and looking at James with the same kind of concern Sirius, Bella, and his mother had for him before he left them standing in that hospital room. "You got hit really hard."

"Jordan, please," James stared into the other man's eyes, "I know when my family is trying to keep something from me. Tell me what happened at the Pit."

The darker man seemed to consider James's pleading expression before saying, "Alright but if anyone finds out I told you…"

James rolled his eyes. "Just tell me."

"I guess—I guess Snape messed up." Jordan began cryptically.

James frowned. "Snape? How?"

The other man shrugged. "Underestimated Riddle, I guess. Which is kind of weak if you think about it because it's Riddle we're talking about. He didn't see it coming."

"_Who_ didn't see it coming?"

"Snape." Jordan replied simply. "He thought Riddle would just want the Book and have one of his men shoot Lily. So I think when he handed over the Book, he planted himself in a position that would allow him to push her out of the way if he needed. But that's not how it went down, you see…"

OooOooO

_The Pit – Sunday – 2:45 p.m_

"_You have done well by me, Snape," Riddle approved, "now I wish for you to kill her."_

_Snape froze, his fingers digging into the palms of his hands. "My Lord?"_

"_Kill her." Riddle restated simply. "Further prove to me your loyalties and you shall always be my second."_

_The other three Death Eaters gasped in shock but Riddle paid them no attention. He instead examined the Book as if it were a mass of undiscovered, rare minerals. Snape glanced at Lily once before he swallowed and stepped forward. _

"_My Lord, surely there are other ways…" He cleared his throat. "I just mean to say that Dumbledore and the detective still believe I am on their side. If I kill Li—the_ girl _then it will be final. I'll no longer be able to spy for you."_

"_There will be no need." Riddle said quietly and his red gaze turned from the object in his hands to Snape. "Kill her, Severus. Kill her and be my second."_

_Snape could feel Lily trembling behind him all of a sudden. His heart pounded in his chest. _

_Riddle nudged one of his men forward. "Carrow, lend Snape your weapon."_

_Snape's black eyes gazed at Carrow, who looked shocked but stepped forward nonetheless. With hands partially outstretched, Snape felt the heavy weapon in his palm and wished that the others at Brown Boulevard would hurry up so that Moody and Chelsea could bust in. If not—he had to prepare himself. He wasn't—_hadn't _been ready for this change in events. How had they come to this? He didn't want to be Riddle's second! He just wanted this war to be over…_

"_There." Riddle's eyes gleamed evilly. "Now you have Carrow's weapon. Do it, Severus. Show these fools why you will be my second and not they!"_

_Snape swallowed and turned to Lily slowly. Her eyes were wide with shock, with pleading but he steeled his resolve. Yes, he would do it. He would do what he needed to do to stop Riddle and if this was the way—_

"_Snape, just do it already!" _

_One of the Death Eaters shoved him forward, causing him to trip over his own feet. Just as that happened, the weapon went off and a bullet was sent straight into Lily Evans's chest. His eyes widened when he saw the blood immediately spring forth on her sweater and splatter across his face. He lunged forward to catch her as her eyes glossed over from the shock and pain. He held her tightly to him and screamed for help as loud as he could. She couldn't die. She wasn't supposed to be the one. _

_He continued to hold her close as his gaze turned upward to the disgusted look on Riddle's face. _

"_I should have known you wouldn't have been able to do it, you coward!" Riddle hissed. "And now, now you're going to rot in hell just like whorish, slut—"_

OooOooO

Jordan shook his head. "And I guess from there, Moody and Chelsea heard that we had gotten the evidence and busted in on Riddle's party. They had to shoot Riddle's men but—Riddle was the only one who seemed to cooperate with the police. LAPD took him away and called the ambulance for Lily. Missed her lung by just a little bit, I heard. It's lucky that guy who shoved Snape didn't cause Snape's arm to rotate a little bit more or else I would be crying like a baby right now."

James let the story sink in and he tried to focus on his feelings surrounding the turn of events. Of course Riddle would make Snape shoot Lily. The first thought that jumped into James's mind was how they had been so stupid to not think about a change like that? Did they really believe Lily would have been able to walk away after having kept the Book Riddle had believed was his for years? His next feeling was relief that Lily was still alive and that her getting shot had been an accident…

"Where's Snape now?" James asked, his voice void of any emotion.

Jordan seemed to consider his question as though it were a difficult math equation.

"You guys," James swallowed, saying slowly, "thought that I would go looking for Snape and try to hurt him because he was the one who shot Lily. That's why you're all so adamant on me getting sleep, even though we _all_ need sleep. Not just me."

Jordan shrugged helplessly. "That was the idea. Guess we're guilty." There was a pause before Jordan tilted his head and asked, "But are we wrong or are we right?"

James considered Jordan's question just as carefully as Jordan had pretended to consider his. He looked at the other man and replied slowly, "Lily is my most important priority, Jordan. You should know that by now. This means that if Lily is in that backroom, being operated on, you better believe that I'm in that room over there waiting for the okay from the doctors to see her. I don't give a shit about anything else except her. So why don't you go on and spread the word and tell Snape that wherever the hell he is, he better stay as far away from my girlfriend as he is able to get because until I get a yay or nay from the doctors on Lily's condition, his ass is danger." He smiled briefly. "But I'm not leaving that room until then so tell him he better use his running head start."

OooOooO

Remus entered the cafeteria and immediately saw Bella waving him over to a table in the corner. He walked over and sat down quietly across from her and Sirius. They were nibbling on crackers and cheese but he himself didn't feel too hungry. He glanced around quickly before looking at the couple across from him.

"How's everything at the Headquarters?" Bella wondered, offering him a cracker.

Remus held up his hand to decline and said quietly, "Snape is freaking out. He's blaming himself for not seeing the situation that Riddle put him in."

Bella frowned. "I honestly don't see how we _couldn't_ have seen it coming. Seems so obvious now. But it still isn't _really_ his fault. Someone should tell him that."

"Yeah," Sirius agreed, "One of the Death Eaters pushed him—"

"On top of that, he's—_concerned_ that James will go after him." Remus interrupted.

"Well, I don't blame him." Sirius said with a smile of irony. "James is known to go freakish on people who cross Lily. I wouldn't be surprised if while in that waiting room, he's plotting ways to get back at Snape."

"It wasn't Snape's fault!" Bella exclaimed exasperatedly. "I thought we went over this!"

"Tell that to Prongs, Bella…" Sirius fixed her with a stern look. "I know if someone, _anyone_ even _accidentally_ unloaded a bullet on you, I would go _nuts_. There would be no way that person would be alive right now. You should know that."

Bella shifted uncomfortably. "I don't like the thought that if someone were to do something to me, you would be okay with trying to take their _life_. I'm not okay with that. And I'm sure Lily would have a big problem with James doing something like that too—"

"If he were trying to save _her_ life?" Sirius raised an eyebrow. "If it justified the crime the other person committed on her, you think she wouldn't be okay with—?"

"No," Bella answered firmly, staring at him incredulously, "I think that she wouldn't want James to ruin his life that way for her."

"But it would be worth it." Sirius said hotly. "Knowing that he got the person who shot her—"

"On accident, by the way," Remus interrupted easily, waving a hand in front of their faces, "In case we got so far off our original topic that you two needed grounding in reality again." When he finally got their attention, he continued, "James isn't going to go after Snape but while I was at the Headquarters, I tried convincing Snape that he shouldn't be around for when Lily gets better."

Bella frowned. "Why not?"

"Because…" Remus sighed tiredly. "Right now, all James's energy is focused on being with Lily, even though he can't physically be in the same room with her. Well, when she gets better and the danger has passed, James is going to start to wake up to other ideas…"

"Like hurting Snape?" Sirius suggested quietly.

"Maybe." Remus said. "Anyways, it would be better for all of us if Snape took off for a time while Lily recovers."

"And what about James?" Bella asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"He's not going to leave Lily's side." Remus said firmly.

"You think?" Sirius asked sarcastically. "Prongs is like a bloody bodyguard up in that waiting room right now. Someone should really tell him it's a bad look."

"Agreed." Bella nodded. "Bad look."

Remus rolled his eyes and without asking, he dug into the bowl of crackers and cheese and began eating.

OooOooO

_This time, James found himself waking up in a bedroom he had never been in before. The walls were a light blue, covered with pictures and posters of people he wasn't familiar with and celebrities that had had their glory days about ten years ago. Above his head, there were plaques and certificates of school acting awards. He realized he was on_ her _bed and when he turned, he saw her lying on her back, staring up at the light blue ceiling._

_"I thought the time at the beach was going to be the last time I saw you." James said as he felt her scoot closer so that she was pressed against his side. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. He reveled in the thought that she snuggled closer to him, too._

_He felt her smile slowly. "You can't get rid of me that easily, Potter."_

_James hoped not but he said, "So, what room are we in? I'm guessing this is your bedroom."_

_Lily nodded silently._

_"Was this the room you had when you were living with your father?" James asked, trying to glance down at her but not able to see anything but the top of her head. When she nodded, he leaned in closer and smelled her hair. He loved that smell, would always love the smell of her hair. He couldn't picture a morning or night when he didn't want to go to bed or wake up to the scent of her hair surrounding him. It was part of the reason he fell in love._

_He heard her swallow. "Is that true?"_

_He frowned and asked, "Is what true?"_

_"Part of the reason you fell in love with me." She turned in his arms_ _to face him and settled her head against his tensing bicep with a small smile. "Sorry, this is your head. Kind of can hear everything."_

_"Why?" James wondered, staring into her beautiful emerald eyes._

_She shrugged. "How it goes, I guess. But, really—is it true?"_

_It was James's turn to shrug. It really had just been a thought but he supposed it was true. He opened his mouth to tell her that but remembered the revelation. It was in his head so she could hear it too. He tensed when he felt her move but when he realized that she was moving closer, he relaxed. He felt her forehead rest against his chest and heard her inhale deeply before pulling away only slightly to look up into his eyes._

_"You know, you smell amazing too." She said with a happy smile. "It's one of the first things I noticed about you when I was living in your apartment."_

_James returned her smile. "Really?"_

_She nodded and touched his face with her pointer finger. "Yep, and I noticed how I liked the way your face was shaped. You have a great face."_

_He laughed suddenly. "I do, don't I?"_

_"Mmhmm." Her finger continued to trace over his cheeks. "Everything is so proportional and_ right_. You're the most beautiful person I know."_

_For the first time in a long time, he felt self-conscious of his looks in front of her. When he answered her, his voice was thick and husky with emotion. "That's interesting because you're the most beautiful person I know."_

_"Not even close." Lily answered easily, turning on her back to gaze at the ceiling again._

_He turned on his side to stare at her profile. "What?"_

_She shook her head. "I'm not the most beautiful person you know. Not even close."_

_"How do you know?" James questioned, throwing an arm around her middle and holding her like that._

_"Because I have seen who you keep company with and there are_ so _many more good looking people around you than little old me." Lily met his gaze evenly and even her eyes challenged him to question her once more._

_Too bad because he wasn't afraid to do just that. "Why do you always think you're not good enough for me? Or good enough period? Why can't you believe me when I tell you that you'll always be more than enough for me or that you are the most beautiful person I know? Because it's true. You are all those things to me, Lily, whether you believe them or not."_

_Lily broke the connection between their eyes by looking away. "I know it's true, James. I can see it so clear in the way you look at me but I—I don't know why you think I'm this person—"_

_"Because you are." He pulled her closer and made it so that she had to look at him. "Way better than I could ever dream. You're a reality. A real beautiful,_ beautiful _person right here just for me to ogle and to love, to protect and to kiss…"_

_He pressed a kiss to the spot where he could feel her heartbeat pounding against her throat. He could feel her swallow again and he pushed himself up on his hands, one on either side of her as he tentatively met her open lips with his in a gentle kiss. His lips slid over hers, just the way he longed to since the moment he saw her standing in front of him on the beach where her father's ashes had been spread. As he felt her slowly responding to his kiss, he told himself to remember that spot on that beach for a later time._

_He lifted and settled himself between the comfort of her legs and felt them wrap tightly around his own legs. One of her hands massaged their way through his thick hair while the other gripped at his shoulders in a desperate manner. He slid lower so that he was resting on his elbows and he leaned his head back so that they could have better access to the inner recesses of their mouths._

_Their tongues twisted together and she had never tasted so sweet. His tongue aggressively pushed her tongue back into her mouth as his lips molested hers. His teeth playfully caught her bottom lip and he shifted his head back so that her bottom lip stretched with his movements. He heard her whimper beneath his assaults and he smiled mischievously as he settled to licking her soar bottom lip._

_When he felt her fingers digging into the base of the back of his neck, his hands came around to wrap firmly around her wrists. Maneuvering so that her hands were against the headboard above her head, he rolled his hips against hers and earned a throaty moan from her. When her hips began to roll as well, he pressed his hips firmly down and remained still. He tilted his head and began lightly licking and nibbling on the skin of her neck. He sucked gently, changing pressures when he felt her hips bucking beneath him in pleasure. Her hands fought to regain control but he tightened his grip a little more. She whined in protest but when he found her lips with his again, the sound turned to a moan._

_"James…" Lily whispered against his ear as he suddenly hoisted them up so that he was sitting on her bed and she was straddling his lap, her legs wrapped firmly around his waist. He allowed her hands free reign and they immediately threaded roughly through his black hair, scratching and pulling._

_"Anything you want, baby," James answered her in a husky tone._

_"James…"_

_The tone sounded different now and that made James pause in his actions._

_"James…"_

OooOooO

"Prongs, buddy, wake up!"

James opened his eyes to see that he was still sitting in the waiting room. His friends and family were all in there, as well as other people. They all were staring at him with the same concerned expressions on their faces.

"James…"

He turned his head to see his mother standing beside a doctor.

"Sit up, mate," Sirius clapped his back and James frowned in disgust, wondering why everyone was always doing that to him now.

"You've been out all night and morning." Bella said, looking anxious.

James rubbed his eyes and looked at his mother who was glancing every so often at him from the corner of her eyes while she was speaking with the doctor. "What's going on? What is Mom talking about with that doctor over there?"

"Probably about Lily." Sirius said quietly and nudged him. "Why don't we go over and check it out?"

James was reluctant to get out of his seat. Granted, he had been in the waiting room for over twenty-eight hours, sleeping on and off to pass the time but he felt stiff so he stood up slowly. Once he stretched a few different ways, he followed Sirius and Bella to where his mother and the doctor were talking.

"Any news?" Bella asked, wrapping her hand in Sirius's.

The doctor turned to the newcomers. "Yes. Good news, as a matter of fact."

Annette looked at James with a smile. "Lily's in stable condition now. They've just moved her to another room and she's awake and allowed visitors."

James felt the tears come up and out so fast he couldn't have had time to check them. They fell down his cheeks silently as Bella let out a happy squeal and turned to give Sirius a hug. James was barely aware of his mother leaning in to give him a reassuring hug or aware of Sirius and Bella openly hugging and kissing each other happily. All he knew was that one minute he was standing with his family hearing that Lily was okay now and the next, he was running in the back, glancing in the hospital rooms and looking for his redhead.

"Lily!" He shouted as he heard the others following close behind and trying to tell him that it was inappropriate to be back there without the doctor's permission. But he saw no doctor advising him to turn around and so he kept looking and shouting her name until he pushed a partially closed door open and saw her sitting up in bed with the help of an unknown nurse.

"Lily." He breathed her name as he had on the beach in his dream.

There was no time. He only saw her glance at him in the doorway, walking toward her with determination set on his face. Her eyes widened in surprise and when the nurse turned and asked who he was, she answered slowly, "That's—"

James didn't give her time to finish and instead closed the distance between them, covering her mouth with his without another word. Desperately, his lips kissed hers and because she was so surprised by his actions, she was a little late in responding. Her hands came up to touch his face as she returned the last bit of his kiss. When he pulled back and she saw the tears coming down his cheeks, she smiled weakly and whispered, "Hi."

"Sir, I'm going to need you to step away from Ms. Evans right now." The nurse behind him said cautiously. "She needs to take her medication before she does anything else."

James only partly acknowledged the nurse and stepped back only once, keeping his eyes on Lily the whole time. He heard his family come through the doorway but none of that mattered anymore.

Not when Lily was alive and staring up at him in confusion and wonder while the nurse gave her pills and a plastic cup of water. His family all expressed their happiness of her well-being but he noticed that she never took her eyes off him. When she swallowed back the pills, her eyes never wavered from his.

He saw her smile when the nurse quietly left the room and his family rushed to her side to speak with her.

He saw her smile and he felt his heart swell in happiness and in love.

There was hope for them after all.

OooOooO

_A/N:_ Tada… what do you say? Yay? Nay? Maybe? Let me know with those wonderful reviews!


	30. About Christmas and Mistletoes

Author: WhtChoc

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Chapter Title:** About Christmas Time and Mistletoes

**Chapter Began:** Wednesday, April 23, 2008

**Chapter Finished:** Saturday, May 31, 2008

**Chapter Published:** Saturday, May 31, 2008

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine.

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the long wait. Very, very busy, you see. If you're interested in details, drop me a note and I'll humor you. This is not the last chapter. Next chapter will be the last chapter of _this_ story. I want to thank everyone for his or her support. I'm still getting awesome reviews even as the story is winding down to a close and I love it.

To answer a few short questions…

About age… Bella is nineteen years old and Lily is about twenty years old. Or will be shortly. The Marauders are about twenty-four. Yeah, they got a bit of age on the girls but… age ain't nothin' but a number! (Or only in some circumstances…)

And… yes, again, this is completely alternate universe. _Completely_.

Thank you!

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: About Christmas Time and Mistletoes**

"Knock, knock."

Lily glanced from the mirror in her old bedroom to her bedroom door. When she saw the door crack open, she sighed and turned to glance at herself in the mirror again, smoothing down her button up shirt and skirt. Her eyes inevitably were drawn to the bandage taped on the lower part of her right shoulder. The doctors had released her from the hospital just three days prior with a _lot_ of strict instructions and warnings. They weren't even sure if they had wanted to release her, but she, along with James and his family, had begged for her to be let out.

It was Christmas, after all.

"Can I come in?"

She couldn't stop her smile when she saw James standing behind her, his hands drawn into the pockets of his gray slacks. He shrugged, looking at her through the mirror, innocently.

"That is—a _weak_ question considering you walked in without my answer anyways." She smirked before turning to face him and striking a brief pose. "What do you think? Not too bad for a girl who almost died from an accidental shot, huh?"

James didn't smile but instead stepped closer to her. His hands massaged the sides of her shoulders in a soothing manner, as he looked deep into her eyes. He held her gaze for what was longer than necessary before saying, "Lily, you look beautiful."

She frowned. "Really? You think so?"

"Of course." James said easily, stepping back and giving her the proper space.

"Because I was just going to go with… _average_."

Inside, she cringed at the word. She wanted to be anything but average, especially for tonight. Everyone was heading over to the Shelter dining area at PAU for a private Christmas dinner. It was Annette's idea for everyone, including the detectives from Auror Headquarters, to join together for a nice meal after finishing the big case. Bella, Sirius, Remus, as well as Remus' _girlfriend_ all were going to be there.

"Ridiculous." James shook his head. "Lily, I know _you_ and you could never be average. Not even if you tried."

Lily still didn't believe him but she changed the subject. "Is Snape going to show?"

She saw his jaw muscles flex. "No. We—told him it was best if he didn't come. He agreed."

Lily's eyes widened. "What? It's _Christmas_. Where is he going to go?"

He shrugged, running a tired hand through his thick, messy hair. "I don't know. Dumbledore said Chelsea is only going to stay for dinner for a little while at the Shelter before going with Snape somewhere. They didn't tell us where but… Lily, it's really for the best—"

"I don't see how it is." Lily shook her head, frustration building in her. "The poor guy almost had to live with _murder_ on his hands and you're sending him away—"

"Lily, that poor guy almost _killed_ you." James said, his voice low and steady. He couldn't count how many times they had touched on this subject briefly in the past few days before one or both of them had to walk away from their angry emotions. She was convinced that Snape shouldn't be shunned out for a _mistake_ but James was certain that he didn't want that ex-Death Eater around his woman anymore.

"So?" Lily asked incredulously. "It was by _accident_!"

"An accident I don't want to happen again!" James said evenly. "I _won't_ let it happen again."

He was glaring at her but she glared right back. Her chest heaved up and down from the pressure of her breathing. She was still weak from her wound and the medications the doctors gave her slowed her down considerably. They had explained that it was to keep her from doing anything strenuous or exhausting. She wouldn't have even taken the medication if it hadn't been for James being in the same room and then later insisting that she follow their instructions. He seemed to be petrified of her doing anything that might cause even just a little bit of risk.

"James, I understand your concerns," She fought to reign in her emotions as she spoke with a calm she didn't feel at the moment. "But Snape _isn't_ a threat to me. You weren't down in the Pit. You didn't see what happened. He tried to protect me as best as—"

"You're right." James interrupted, nodding. "I wasn't down in the Pit with you guys so I don't _really_ know what happened." He swallowed. "But I do know that I almost lost you and I don't ever want to feel that way again. I'm sorry you feel sorry that he's not allowed to come to our Christmas dinner but, Lily, it's going to stay that way. I'm sorry."

They stared at each other for a few long moments before James shook his head and exited her bedroom, leaving her standing there alone. She felt the tears pool in her eyes and she sank down on the edge of her bed, hugging her middle and fighting herself to keep from crying. It could have been the medication or it could have been the easy ways in which James really got to her all the time. No matter how much distance she tried to put between them, he always won and he _always_ affected her much more deeply and dramatically than anyone else ever did. Or had.

When she woke up after having been shot, the first thing she felt was James's desperate, beautiful lips on hers. The truth was that she had momentarily forgotten their break. His presence, his appearance in her life did that to her, caused her to forget about the decisions she promised herself she would follow through with. And because of her lapse in memory, or will, James somehow managed to wedge himself back into her life. Not only that, but he even somehow became her everything again. Without even trying much on his part, or without a lot of her resistance, he resumed the control again. And again, without his meaning to, he made her feel like she was completely unable to run her own life without him.

Wasn't that the reason she had requested the break?

How had he so easily regained so much control?

OooOooO

Sirius rolled his eyes when he glanced down at his watch. His girlfriend was already ten minutes past the time she had promised him she would be ready. Remus had told him earlier that day when they were at the basketball courts that Remus and his girlfriend, Tanya, would pick them up from the dorms at a little past seven and it was already twenty-five past the hour. Sirius had suggested that they walk because the Shelter was just across the campus but Remus had insisted they go as a group in Tanya's remodeled car.

He sighed loudly and sat down on the edge of Bella's bed, leaning on his hands behind him. The door opened and Sirius immediately bounded up from the bed, only to be disappointed because it wasn't his girlfriend. It was Remus.

"Hey," Sirius started, "I know we said we'd be ready by seven but clearly, Bella has a different meaning of 'on time'. Why don't you guys head over and we'll just meet you?"

Remus shook his head and sat down on Bella's bed heavily. "No go. I took a bus from the shop."

Sirius frowned. "Why? Where's Tanya?"

"At the shop." Remus answered gruffly.

"Why?"

Remus fell back against the bed and covered his face with his hands. "What do _you_ think?"

Sirius walked to the edge of the bed and studied his friend. Remus didn't look so good and so he asked quietly, "Did you two break up?"

Remus shook his head. "Nope. We went on a—on a 'break.'"

Sirius frowned and sat down beside the other man who sat up slowly. "A break? What for? I thought you two were really hitting it off…"

Remus took a long time to respond. He swallowed before saying, "Tonks stopped by earlier—"

"_Oh_." Sirius remembered the day the gang cracked the case wide open. It was the day that he, Bella, Mrs. Potter, and Remus had met Moody's two best private investigators. One of them had been a woman. Though Sirius found her odd and different, Remus had taken a quick interest in her. Before the fight, Bella had commented on the pair's ease and chemistry but Sirius had doubted it, saying that Tanya was much more of an _attractive_ woman than Tonks and Remus had taste. But before long, Sirius had doubted his own doubts too.

"Apparently Tanya saw us laughing over a joke, or something, and next thing I knew, we were having a serious conversation about the things we had in common versus the things that we didn't have in common." Remus said slowly. "Tonks had only stopped by to thank me for my assistance in the fight. I can't help it if she's fun and interesting to be around. I'm allowed to have female friends. Look at Bella and Lily…"

"Well, mate, Bella is like your younger sister and you definitely had a _big_ crush on Lily before you decided to catch on that she was Prongs' girl." Sirius said, scratching his head and vaguely wondering when his brunette would return.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Remus asked acidly.

"It just means that Tanya knows you well enough to know that you are incapable of being friends with women without wanting more." Sirius replied. He tried to shrug along with his answer but it still came out harsh. "Or, only when the girl in question establishes that you two are like family. Besides that, Moony, you don't _really_ know how to be just friends with a girl."

"Oh right…" Remus laughed dryly. "Because I'm hearing this from _Padfoot_, the infamous womanizer. _You're_ telling me I don't know how to be _just_ friends with a girl? Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am." Sirius said, his voice quiet. "And just for the record, Remus, I haven't been that… _infamous womanizer_ for months since I've been with Bella. You know how much that chippie means to me."

Remus seemed to sober a little at that and he relented, nodding. "Yeah, I know. It still hurts though."

"Look," Sirius said, patting his friend on the back, "The thing is, you and Tonks have a lot in common that people don't realize. I mean—she's a different kind of bird but I can see where you find her interesting—"

"How is this part of our talk going to help me with my break from Tanya?" Remus asked, his eyebrows narrowing in confusion.

"It's not." Sirius said. "I'm telling you to go to Christmas dinner, free to talk with a girl you find fun and interesting. Tonight, don't worry about your break with Tanya. If she's the one, she'll come around. If not, you're making a great female friend in Tonks."

"Smart guy."

Sirius glanced up when he heard his girlfriend's voice at the door. When he laid eyes upon her, he smiled widely and stood up.

"You look—"

OooOooO

"—_Ridiculous_. Ludicrous, even."

Annette tried to smile kindly as she walked with Detective Moody from the front door of the Shelter down the stairs to the dining area where her invited guests were to eat.

"The _audacity_ in Riddle to believe that he could not be stopped." Moody went on. "The arrogance. The _bigotry_."

"Detective Moody," Annette cut in gently, "Don't you think the twenty or so years Riddle spent playing cat and mouse with the authorities may have had something to do with his overconfidence? It's abnormal to be so untouchable, so invincible to the law for so many years. Perhaps he has reason—?"

Moody was already shaking his head. "No. No one should have reason to look down his or her noses at human beings. We are all equal. Or should be, anyways."

"I admire your value system, Detective." Annette said truthfully, catching her husband's gaze and silently willing him to walk over. Apparently, almost thirty years of marriage paid off because Nicholas was already making his way toward them. She enjoyed Moody a lot but tonight was supposed to be a night free of case talk. It was Christmas and with past recent events, she wanted her family and friends to relax, not get worked up.

"Thank you, Mrs. Potter. And I must say, it was a pleasure working with you." Moody smiled.

"Hello, Detective Moody." Nicholas said in his business-tone. "Is there a law against putting a man's wife in the heat of an intense battle?" He kissed his wife's forehead before turning to the detective with a friendly smile. "Thank you for putting those men away. I'm sure the city will be organizing some sort of honorary ceremony for you any day now."

Moody let out a barking laugh, stomping his walking stick into the floor. "Ah, good man… I wish, Potter, I wish…"

OooOooO

Lily jumped when she felt someone wrap their arms around her from behind. She immediately turned her head and relaxed when she saw that it was Jordan. She flashed a smile and leaned back against him as he snuggled closer, staring at the small group of people greeting one another with hugs and kisses. There was one single, long table in the middle of the room with a buffet on the perimeter. Everything smelled and looked delicious.

When Jordan was finished hugging Lily, he pulled away and stood by her side with his hands in his grey slacks. "This looks and feels way better than last year's Christmas meal, doesn't it?"

Lily smirked. "You mean because we actually have food to choose from or because we're in the company of people who won't shoo us away with empty pots and pans?"

Jordan laughed, shaking his head. "That occurrence was the year before. Last year, we couldn't find you to continue our tradition."

Lily's eyes lowered before meeting Jordan's. "I was with Lucius last year."

"I'm going to wager a guess and just say that spending Christmas with the Potter family is a step up from spending it with the Malfoy family."

She nodded slowly. "Definitely a step up."

"I bet you never believed that they would accept you into their clan." Jordan said, sending her another sideways grin. "But you are, Lily. You are a part of their family now. They consider you their own, and so does he." He nodded to James who was giving his sister an overly dramatic hug.

Lily swallowed. "But for how long?"

"Pardon?" His eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

She motioned with her arms, frustrated. "How long do I get to feel like I'm a part of their family before they decide I'm not good enough, or I disappoint them, or they just don't want me anymore? I can't wait for that stuff to happen. I can't wait for James to just wake up one day and decide he doesn't want to be with me and then I'm left with nothing. I can't do it, Jordan…"

Jordan swallowed and wrapped a soothing arm around her waist, pulling her against his side. He kissed her gently on her forehead. "Listen, Red—when a family like _that_ decides to let someone like _you_ in, they mean it for life, okay? Look at that bunch, Lils. They're not perfectly perfect either. No family you find will be, but that family over there wants you in their lives. And whether or not you and Potter are meant to be, I am absolutely certain that you and Annette are meant to be, that you and Bella are meant to be. You have your place with them. Quit second guessing yourself and take it."

OooOooO

James leaned against the brick wall, folding his arms and staring through the darkness to gaze at Chelsea who turned to face him after a moment of silence.

"Dumbledore wants Snape and I to head up to Alaska. He believes some outer circle Death Eaters escaped there when they found out about the bust." Chelsea began, rubbing his temple slowly. "Pretty soon, we'll be hearing about odd occurrences up there. I guess he figures the authorities will need all the help they can get."

"I thought you guys said that once Riddle was captured, everything was finished. We wouldn't have to worry." James frowned.

Chelsea shook his head. "Even with that bastard behind bars, his followers are still willing to cause havoc any place they think they won't get caught. Fortunately, we have a leader on our side who knows exactly what they're planning."

"Dumbledore is incredible." James said, scratching his chin.

Chelsea nodded briefly. "He is." There was a pause before he continued, "Anyways, at first, Dumbledore thought it was best for us to leave without a word or a goodbye, but I convinced him that you should at least know what the plan is just in case you or your family needed any more rescuing…"

James let out a dry laugh. "Unlikely."

Chelsea seemed skeptical. "Please do not underestimate Riddle's followers. Although he is behind bars, probably for life, some of his most devoted followers are as crazy as he is. Maybe even more so."

James was quiet for a few seconds before he inclined his head toward the back door. "So, are you not going to come in and wish anyone a good holidays?"

The other man swallowed but didn't respond.

James motioned to Chelsea's attire, which was black slacks and a blue button down shirt. "I mean, you are dressed for the occasion…"

Chelsea cleared his throat and shook his head. "I don't think so. I mean—I think it's best if I just—"

"You have an opportunity this time to say goodbye." James interrupted seriously. "Do you really want her to sit and wonder, sadly or angrily, where you are? You have a choice this time, Kiaz. Make the right one."

"It's better this way."

James shook his head. "I don't see it."

"Neither do I."

Both men turned quickly to see Lily standing at the open doorway, looking between them.

She took a few steps forward and stopped, motioning to them. "Private meeting in the darkness of a back alley equals a little sketchy, don't you think? What's your story?"

"We were just—"

Lily held up a hand to silence James. "Shut up."

His mouth immediately closed.

She pointed to Chelsea who looked slightly guilty. "You. What's _your_ story?"

He looked like he couldn't think of one but finally blurted out, "We're leaving. Snape and I."

"And he was just…" James began but Lily silenced him yet again, but this time, with a dark look.

Chelsea continued. "To Alaska."

Lily stared incredulously at him. "For how long?"

He shrugged. "As long as it takes to catch every Death Eater up there."

"But that could take months." Lily's voice broke on the last word. "Why so far from _here_?"

"Lily, believe me, it's not what I want. To be that far away. But… I have a purpose. I'm needed. Dumbledore needs me." He swallowed when he saw tears forming in her eyes. "I didn't—I didn't want it to be like this. That's why I called Potter out here—"

"You were going to leave _again_ without saying goodbye?" Lily bit on her trembling lower lip.

"I'm sorry." Chelsea replied softly. "But… here I am. We can say goodbye now."

Lily shook her head and walked toward Chelsea with her arms outstretched. "I don't want to."

They hugged tightly as James leaned heavily against the wall, rolling his eyes and folding his arms stubbornly across his chest. The moment should've been awkward for him or touched him in some profound way but he was really anxious to hear what Lily had to say to him in front of Chelsea. Maybe a deep proclamation of love or something…

The two friends pulled away and Lily caressed Chelsea's wet cheek. "I'm really going to miss you, Chels."

"You know I will too." Chelsea grinned, covering her hand with his.

"You're going to miss remodeling my mother's house." Lily said suddenly, eyes wide.

"I'll be back to see what it looks like." Chelsea stepped back. "I promise."

"Alright. I'm holding you to that."

Chelsea smirked. "Of course." He pointed James. "Take care of each other."

"Tell Severus I said thank you." Lily said, stepping back as Chelsea turned to walk down the alleyway onto the main street. With one last wave, Chelsea was gone.

James pushed himself off the brick wall and made his way to stand beside Lily. "So, what's this I hear about remodeling your mother's house? How come I didn't hear anything about that? Does everyone know except me?"

Lily turned to face him, frowning. "You were going to speak to him without telling me."

"Huh?"

Lily motioned to where Chelsea walked away. "He came here to tell you where he was going to be. Would you have told me if I hadn't come out here looking for you?"

"You came out here looking for me—?"

"James…" Lily fixed him with an annoyed look.

He sighed, backing away and running a tired hand through his hair. "I don't know. Maybe."

"Truthfully?" Lily asked, tilting her head.

"Why is it important?"

"It _is_ important, James!" Lily exclaimed hysterically. "However small this is to you, it's important to me. Do you even know why I decided to go on a break?"

James scratched his chin. "Because you thought you weren't good enough for me?"

"Only part of the reason." Lily said more softly. "Because I realized that we could never be in a real, long-lasting relationship if all the time I felt we were on uneven ground. I wanted to break away and become my own person, do my own thing so that if things worked out between us, they would for the long haul. And if they didn't, I wouldn't feel like trash like I felt with Lucius."

James stared at her silently.

"But that can't happen if you're constantly making my decisions for me, if you're having secret meetings out back with people I care about, and if your answer to telling me things that I consider are important is _maybe_. James, I need to be able to trust that you will treat me as your equal—"

"Lily, you are my equal." James interrupted but Lily shook her head.

"—And that I _feel_ like I am your equal." Lily finished.

He swallowed and shrugged. "So, uh… why did you come out here? Just to yell at me or…?"

"James, I never wanted to be separated from you for as long as we have been." Lily started, her voice gentle and quiet. "I love you so much, Potter. Probably in a ridiculous amount. Probably more than I should. But I do. And the truth is, you are still the first person I see myself living out the rest of my life with."

She walked forward until she was standing right in front of him.

"When I was little and still believing in fairy tales and happy endings…" Lily laughed, shaking her head. "I used to believe that real love was not being able to live without someone. Needing someone _so_ much that you had to spend every waking hour with that person. But now that I've met you, James Potter, the love of my life, and I've successfully lived without you, made new friends and laughed without you… I realize that real love is something else entirely.

Real love is when you _can_ live without someone but you don't because you just don't want to. And my honest bit tonight, James, is that I'm living without you and I'm all right, even happy sometimes. But I don't want to do this anymore. I want you back in my life. I want you, James, for the _rest_ of my life."

Slowly, Lily pulled out something from the purse hanging off her shoulder. When James looked closer, he saw a tiny mistletoe between her shaking fingers. They caught gazes and shared nervous laughter as Lily raised the hand that held the mistletoe above her head. As he looked at her standing in front of him, he felt his heart swell large in his chest and something inside of him realized the equal inside of Lily.

"So," Lily laughed again, "before this gets any cheesier and my toes freeze, can you just kiss me and take me back inside?"

James smiled and held Lily by her arms. His head inched closer and just before his lips descended upon hers, he whispered, "I love you, Lily. I love you with all of me."

OooOooO

_A/N_: To be completely honest, I'm not a big fan of fluff. The big proclamations of love and what not… but this time, I really had to suck it up and write it. The characters definitely deserved it. The readers of this story who love and believe in James and Lily's relationship (you guys!) deserve it… so I said what the hey to my preferences and look what happened! A love speech from the reject at PAU!

LOL… review? :D ?


	31. Epilogue: About Letters and Getaways

**Author:** WhtChoc

**Title:** Runaway Love

**Epilogue Title:** About Lost Letters and Special Getaways

**Chapter Began:** Saturday, May 31, 2008

**Chapter Finished:** Monday, June 2, 2008

**Chapter Published:** Monday, June 2, 2008

**Rating:** R…

**Disclaimer:** None of the HP characters are mine. Neither is the beautiful song _Angel of Mine_ that is done by the talented Monica.

**Author's Note:** This is the last chapter of this story, _Runaway Love_. I hope you enjoy the love shared by James and Lily, Sirius and Bella, and Remus in this last installment. I worked really hard to make this last one meaningful and memorable so I ask you if you love this story and you love this chapter to please, _please_ let me know what you think in the greatest review you've ever written. It can be a contest against yourself, lol.

Anyways, enjoy!

**Epilogue: About Lost Letters and Special Getaways**

oOOoOOo

_When I first saw you_

_I already knew_

_There was something inside of you_

_Something I thought that I would never find_

_Angel of mine_

_-- Monica_

OooOooO

"Alright, _now_!"

The gang pulled at the binds at once, using all the strength they possessed as the skeletal wall wiggled free before collapsing. The young people jumped backward and stared in awe as the downstairs area clouded over in saw dust. All of the furniture had been removed and the entire house looked like a walk-in zoo. There were wooden boards, tools, and different machines everywhere in the house. To top it off, the gang's clothes were their cheapest and covered in dust and dirt.

"Hey, Red, how's about a break?" Jordan called to Lily who stood back, examining the group's work.

They had just taken down the wall that separated the living area from the kitchen area. Lily had plans to make the house's indoor looks more contemporary with bigger spaces, taller ceilings and windows. When Annette discovered the amount of work Lily wanted to put into her mother's house, Annette quickly told the news to Nicholas Potter who then strongly insisted that they chip in financially. With Lily's mother completely out of the picture now, Annette stepped up to the plate and began suggesting different insurance companies and such. Once they actually began to work on the house, Lily really took to taking charge.

"I second that request." Remus said, nodding and wiping his sweaty brow with his forearm.

"Request?" Lily quirked an eyebrow, looking between both men.

"More like a _strong_, no exceptions request…" Sirius said, poking Lily on her shoulder. "You work us pretty hard. We need a _little_ rest."

"Alright, alright…" Lily said, rolling her eyes and turning to walk away but instead bumping into James who was walking in with a giant cooler against the broad expanse of his chest. She laughed, self-consciously; as they awkwardly decided which way the other was going to go, James did a marvelous job of guiding her in one direction around him while still maintaining his hold on the cooler. She shook her head and glanced back at him with a small smile. "Sorry."

James shrugged, nonchalantly before walking toward the gang and setting the cooler down on the floor. "I got drinks all around…"

OooOooO

Lily couldn't help but feel proud of what she was doing with her mother's house. When Abigail decided to check herself into a rehab center back on the East Coast and to give Lily the house along with the stashed money saved from her father's will, Lily knew that she wanted to remodel the house and make it her own. By tearing down the walls and building something completely new from the old, Lily felt it was symbolic and very therapeutic. Any child who had suffered to the extent that Lily had as a young teenager should have that opportunity. Not just for the destruction but for the _re_construction.

What was more was that Lily knew she wasn't alone at all. Both the Potter family and Sirius chipped in a crazy amount of money to make Lily's vision come true. With James's artistic skills, Remus' savvy business capabilities, and Annette's endless network, Lily managed to find the best people to really get the job done. When the final decision came around, Lily only had one request: that the gang come together and work on the house seriously for one day before handing the job over to the professionals.

It was already the middle of April but they would have her house finished by the end of the spring semester. In the meantime, Lily was living with James while shopping for new furniture and other household objects. After the house was finished, Lily and James would move in together and begin the rest of their lives together.

That was the part of the story that made Lily smile the most.

It was really going to happen. This was really her life.

Lily smiled when she felt his arms wrap around her from behind. She leaned back against him.

"The guys are talking about working again." James said softly against the top of her head.

Her fingers caressed his forearms before she turned her head to breathe in his musky scent. "I should probably go back then. They'll probably need the next part of what I have planned…"

She started to disentangle herself from him but he held her tightly.

She smiled and glanced up at him. "They don't need my help?"

His jaw clenched and he slowly let her go.

"That's what I thought." Lily said with a teasing smile.

"Will you come with me some place after?" James asked just before she turned to walk away.

She turned to look at him stuffing his hands nervously in his jeans pockets. His tan t-shirt was smudged with dirt and oil but he still looked sexy as hell. Her breath caught in her throat and again, she forgot to breathe while looking at him. She blinked a few times, the tip of her tongue coming out to wet her lips before she nodded slowly.

"Sure. Just come get me when you're ready."

_How you changed my world_

_You'll never know_

_I'm different now_

_You helped me grow_

"Okay, James…" Lily stared around incredulously later that day. "When you said _will you come with me some place_, I just thought you meant to a park or something." She motioned to the beach she used to go to with her father when she was a little girl. "A car and a private jet ride to the complete opposite coast _later_…" She shook her head and met his gaze in confusion. "How do you know about this place?"

James shrugged and glanced around. "It's beautiful here. Peaceful."

"Seriously, James," Lily frowned, "What is this all about?"

He shrugged again and came to stand beside her. "Lily, I wanted—I wanted to take you some place where, one, there wasn't a chance we would be interrupted… two, a place with a beautiful setting… and three, a place where it would be meaningful and important to you so we could talk. This place immediately came to mind."

"The perks of being absolutely rich…" Lily raised an eyebrow and then she shook her head. "This place _does_ have meaning, James. Thank you." She leaned sideways to give him a brief hug before walking in front of him toward the water. "My father and I used to come here when I was a little girl. This was—this was the last place I saw him before his disease fully took over and I lost him forever. I haven't been back here since that day."

"Why not?" James asked quietly, following her and staring at their feet walking in the sand.

"I was a kid when they took me away and sent me to the West Coast. And by the time, I ran away from Lionel and my mother and sister, I was living on the streets and not thinking about riding down memory lane. But this place was always on my mind." Lily stopped and turned toward James. "I'm glad you're here with me, James. Even though I'm still confused on how you know about this place. I don't think I've ever told you."

"We're meant to be here, Lily. That's all you need to know." James replied and there was a few seconds of silence before James gently kicked Lily behind her leg. "So, is this where you and your dad dreamed of your future together? The acting classes and the Hollywood stardom?"

Lily laughed and nodded. "He took me to this place mostly for the same reasons you just gave. He said we'd be able to think better here. Focus on positive energy and get away from the realities of what would happen to me once he was gone. This is the place he gave me that book of contacts. It's, um… this is the place where I used to believe my life began to end."

There was silence again before Lily frowned. "Does anyone else know we jetted across the country?"

James laughed and nodded his head. "Of course. They expect us back by tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Uh huh." James said cryptically, covering her hand with his and tugging her along in the opposite direction. "I do believe there is a beautiful beach house awaiting our arrival…"

OooOooO

Lily laughed when James rushed to the bed buck naked with an armful of snacks. As soon as he dropped the items on the bed, he quickly slid under the satin sheets and joined Lily in opening the treats. Among the snacks were Reese's Pieces, mini Butterfingers, and Oreos. They had spent the evening this way, snacking and making love. The only phones available for the outside world to contact them were their cell phones and those were conveniently set on _vibrate_ and resided on the coffee table in the small room downstairs.

Sunset had been a beautiful sight. Their bedroom was semi-circular with large windows opening to the beach. When they were finished watching the sunset, James closed the drapes and suggested they get something to eat. And so, here they were, sitting and enjoying their snacks in peace.

"Is this what it's going to be like living with you from now on?" Lily smirked, biting off a piece of the chocolate of the Reese's Pieces and slowly licking the peanut butter.

James watched intrigued as she did that before smiling. "This is a special occasion."

"And which occasion is that?" Lily's eyebrows rose.

"You should stop doing _that_ if you want to keep talking…" James said suddenly, his darkening eyes watching her tongue flick in and out of her mouth to lick the peanut butter.

She stared at him seriously for a second as her tongue swept out of her mouth slowly and gave the peanut butter one last lick before she threw her head back and giggled mischievously. She reveled in her effect on him. Her eyes widened when she realized that he was reaching for her. She tried to get off the bed but she didn't react fast enough. His hands grabbed a hold of her hips and slid her across the bed so that she was lying on her back beneath him and he was hovering above her. Her knees came up to protect her abdomen as he reached downward to tickle her.

Her laughter reverberated throughout the room and probably the house but they were alone. She tried unsuccessfully to fight him off her and when her hands tried to push him backward, his hard chest resisted and he only leaned forward with his hands braced on either side of her head. She finally relented with a sigh and allowed her legs to fall so that they were on either side of his waist.

He leaned down on his elbows and kissed her with as much passion as he knew how. She gave as good as she got. Tongue, teeth, and all. Her fingers threaded through his thick hair, hands tugging and hips pressing. She felt his tongue lick the outer edge of her lip before again penetrating the recesses of her mouth. She moaned deep in her throat as he ground his hips into hers, pressing her into the bed.

As his lips moved to lick and nip her jaw and neck, she turned her head to the side, eyes closed. "Mm, James… I'm… I'm still kind of hungry."

James grunted, rooting for her lips once more and she kissed him slowly before tapping him on the shoulder with quiet laughter.

"Seriously. Hungry."

James rolled off her reluctantly and they sat up together to resume snacking.

"So, you never answered me." Lily said quietly. "What's the special occasion?"

James shrugged. "Getting back together after being apart."

Lily smiled and replied, "Wow. A jet plane across the country? _Really_?"

"You're a really special person to me, Lily." James said, simply. "I wanted to show you how much you are, I guess."

"You're really special to me, too, James," Lily answered back and then as an afterthought, rolled her eyes and added, "Obviously."

"It's nice to hear, isn't it?" James gave her a goofy, lopsided grin. "Besides, it's kind of understood that we're going to be together forever. At least, that's how _I_ understand it."

"Of course." Lily said easily, taking a bite out of an Oreo cookie.

"That's how you understand it?" James asked, flashing a bright smile but there was something in his eyes that told her his question was very serious.

Lily nodded. "Yeah. And if you decide to leave me, James Potter, I'll have you know that I kick ass and I will surely kick _yours_ if you decide to back out on forever with me."

James laughed, his beautiful eyes sparkling as he nodded in understanding and pointed at her. "Alright, Ms. Lily Evans… I'm holding you to that."

Lily smiled and leaned forward to kiss him briefly before pulling back and whispering, "You better be."

OooOooO

Sirius couldn't help the smile that seemed to steal over his features when he saw his girlfriend walking toward him on campus. The gang (minus James and Lily) had plans to go to one of the parties held annually. Jordan set them up and they were all going to get a bite to eat at the deli beforehand.

"Hello, boyfriend," Bella grinned when she was standing in front of him.

He immediately leaned down and kissed her softly before pulling back and replying, "Good evening, girlfriend. You look beautiful."

"Thank you." Her returning smile was brilliant and he felt his stomach dip. "I actually want to talk to you before everyone shows up."

"Can it wait until after the party?" Sirius wondered, checking his watch. "Remus and Tonks will be here any minute—"

"Sirius, it's important." Bella's smile was gone and that was not a good sign. "Please."

"Are your mother or father upset?" Sirius asked, unwilling to give in.

"No…"

"Are either one of them seriously ill or injured?"

"No, that's not what…"

"Then I think it can wait." Sirius concluded, smiling and tugging her along. "Now, come on, we're going to be late."

Bella resisted being pulled along and when Sirius turned to give her a questioning look, she released her arm from his grip. They both stopped walking on the lawn and Bella sighed. "Sirius, please just hear me out, okay?"

"Before you say anything," Sirius began slowly, "I just need to know if this is going to end with you saying you want to break up with me."

"God, no, I hope not." Bella answered suddenly. "At least those words won't come from _me_. You have my word."

Sirius laughed, feeling relieved. "Then what's the big deal?"

Bella licked her lips before shifting on her feet and looking into Sirius's eyes. "Sirius, I've been offered an opportunity to travel and work with Xavier Valez in Guatemala as a certified doctors without borders member. For the whole summer and part of the fall semester next school year."

Sirius stared at her in silence as she went on.

"You know it's something I've always wanted to do and Xavier is really great and smart and he promises me it'll be an experience of a lifetime. And, I mean, remember how we weren't even sure if I could have a study abroad experience this early in my college career? It's fantastic, really…" Her voice trailed off before she said, "Sirius, say something."

He shook his head and tried to smile. "That's erm, that's really something. I'm—I'm glad for you."

"I know it's… that it's a lot to take in. It was for me—"

"How long have you known?" Sirius asked.

Bella swallowed and took a deep breath. "I've known since Christmas."

"You didn't tell me. That was four months ago." There was a definite edge in his voice now.

"I know," she concurred, "And I've wanted to say something for the longest time—"

"You didn't." Sirius interrupted, looking away from her. "Why not?"

Bella shrugged helplessly. "Sirius, this is a really great opportunity for me—"

"Why didn't you say something?" he asked slowly, deliberately.

"I wasn't sure if I wanted to go, if I wanted to leave _you_. I mean, I found out during the whole fiasco with the Death Eaters and Riddle and… I guess I wasn't sure if I could leave you or my family after I was so close to losing you guys before. But then, I've been talking to my mom and Lily and Remus and… and Xavier still says the option is open…" She shook her head. "And I just decided that it's definitely worth it. But, Sirius, I wouldn't have come to this decision if—if I didn't believe that our relationship would survive and still remain as strong as it is while we're together right now."

"But you still elected to tell me after you've apparently spoken to everyone _but_ me." Sirius's jaw clenched.

"Not everyone knows…" Bella chewed on her lower lip idly.

"Who haven't you told?" Sirius asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Erm… James… and my father." Bella asked guiltily.

"You know what?" Sirius took a few steps back, shaking his head repeatedly. "I'm not really in the mood to go to a party right now. Why don't you just go on ahead without me and tell Remus I said hi and thanks for not telling me that the woman I love just made a life altering decision without me? I'm sure responses to that gratitude will circulate before reaching _my_ ears."

"Sirius…" Bella tried to reach out for him but he was already out of touching distance and walking in the opposite direction, leaving her alone.

OooOooO

The next morning, Lily awoke to a tickling sensation on her face, traveling from her forehead down her nose and lips and chin. When she opened her eyes, the sun was already pouring in from the windows and in front of her face, she saw James dangling a feather. He was grinning ear to ear when she rolled her eyes and sat up slowly. She rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes and made a grab for the feather. James's reflexes were a lot faster than hers and he leaned back, the feather out of her reach.

As she stretched, she realized he was already dressed and their bags were already packed and off to one side to be brought downstairs. There was a bit of sadness in the knowledge that their time there would be ending… the kind of sadness she had all those years ago when she was naïve and with her father for the last time. She reached for James's t-shirt and pulled it over her head before sliding out of bed.

"When are we leaving?" Lily asked, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Simon will be here shortly. You should probably change right now." James said, quietly.

Lily nodded and without looking at James, she moved to grab clothes she had set aside the previous night. Before she could make her way into the bathroom, she felt James tug gently on her arm. She turned to see him frowning down at her.

"What's wrong?"

Lily shrugged, feeling the tears pool in her eyes. "Nothing."

"Lily…" James wasn't buying it but she wasn't ready to talk about what she was feeling.

"James, please…"

He stared into her eyes before she pulled on her arm for him to let her go. He reluctantly did so and she immediately turned toward the bathroom where she felt the tears escape down her face. There was regret in her stomach as she thought about James's look of concern and she felt she should reassure him that she was all right. But, she looked at herself in the mirror before turning the water on, and she knew she was sad. Sad to leave the last place she had any contact with her dad.

OooOooO

Lily entered the small kitchen to find James sitting at the counter, waiting and playing with a small envelope in his hands. When he realized she had come downstairs, he looked at her slowly and motioned for her to sit down. She slid into the stool beside him and looked out of windows to the scene of the Atlantic Ocean crashing against the East Coast beach.

"You're upset." James said slowly.

Lily shook her head and turned in her seat to look at him. "No, James. This was the best getaway, mini vacation thingy I've ever been on. I'm just—it's sad… leaving here again."

James nodded in understanding. "I get that. To you, this was the last place you had any contact with your dad—"

"Exactly." Lily nodded briefly. "This _was_ the last place I saw him. Last memory, last conversation, the last words he ever spoke to me were here, a long time ago."

"Not true." James murmured and flashed the envelope.

"What is this?" Lily asked, frowning and taking the proffered envelope out of his hands.

James shrugged. "Just something I found while rummaging through your mother's belongings when we first started taking things out of that house. There was no stamp or anything so I assumed on one of her trips to the East Coast she stopped by his house and found it. But, it's—"

"—Addressed to me." Lily finished his sentence and swallowed. "James…"

"I know, I know," James stood and brushed his hands together before rolling his eyes with a ghost of a smile upon his beautiful lips, "The perks of being absolutely rich, right? Meet me outside near the water when you're ready." He leaned down and pressed his lips against her hairline before whispering, "I'll be waiting for you."

OooOooO

"Knock-knock."

Sirius sighed tiredly when he saw Remus at his doorway, leaning in with a forced happy smile. "What do _you_ want? I thought the sign on the door _leave me the hell alone_ would clear up any doubts on whether to bother me or not."

"You mean this little old sign you've been using since you were a kid moving between James's house and mine?" Remus held up the sign briefly before tossing it on the desk and fully entering his friend's dorm room. "Don't you think it's time to put that sign away or give it away to another physically frustrated and emotionally challenged kid? You've had it since the fourth grade!"

Sirius sighed heavily and leaned back on his pillows with his hands behind his head. "You're probably right, Moony. You never seemed to listen to it ever so why bother? And aren't you supposed to be at a party with your new girlfriend and the '_love_ of my life?'"

"You're supposed to be there too, you know," Remus took the seat from the desk and rolled it closer to Sirius's bed and sat down in it with a deep exhale. "So, Bella told me she spoke to you about her decision to live in Guatemala for five months."

"Yeah, that bit shocked me but I think it was your not telling me about her decision that really hurt." Sirius admitted quietly. "I would've thought that after all these years of being like family, a brother would've told his brother that his best girl was thinking about going MIA outside the City of Angels for a good chunk of his year."

"That chunk isn't as long as it seems, Padfoot," Remus shook his head. "And a _brother_ didn't tell you because it wasn't his place to. Bella's decision is strictly between the two of you—"

"Then why are you here?" Sirius asked, his tone edgy and angry. "If it's just between Bella and I, how come everyone except Prongs and Mr. Potter know and I was virtually the last to hear?"

"She wasn't sure of her final decision and she didn't want to cause any disruptions in your relationship before she knew what she was going to do." Remus said evenly. "You should've seen her when she finally made up her mind. All I can say is that I've never seen someone so emotionally distraught and _guilty_ about accepting a wonderful opportunity abroad." He shook his head and gave Sirius a meaningful look. "As much as she was excited and happy, it killed her a little. It still does."

"Oh, that's right." Sirius snapped his fingers. "She's known about it since _Christmas_."

"It is upsetting," Remus looked sternly at his best friend, "but I honestly didn't think your reaction to her decision would be so juvenile. Sirius, you should be proud of her!"

"I am." Sirius answered stubbornly. "Proud of her, I mean."

"Good." Remus nodded. "Because right now, she needs your love and support. Right now, it shouldn't be about making her feel _more_ guilty and upset. You should be showing her that she was right in thinking and believing that your relationship can withstand the trials of time and distance. Prove to her that you're worth her waiting for and that if she should work alongside some guy she considers good-looking and great in a foreign country, she _won't_ be interested because despite the distance, she will still be interested in _you_."

Sirius stared at Remus as realization and gratitude washed over him. "You're right, Moony."

"I _am_ right," Remus nodded, self-assured, "She loves you, Padfoot. Go to her and remind her why she does."

OooOooO

Lily's hands trembled as she ripped open the envelope and read the tiny handwriting that was her father's:

_My Dearest Lily,_

_Right now, I'm watching you from the hallway as you sleep and dream your way through the night. Sometimes, I cannot believe that you are _my_ daughter, you're so beautiful. Although you have my eyes. Still, they look better on your face. Everything looks better around you. _

_Do you remember our very first trip to our favorite beach? You were so happy to play in the small waves and I remember being so nervous about letting you go off on your own for the first time. But you looked at me and you said, "I can do it, Daddy. Let me do it." And you had this look in your beautiful eyes, this look of determination that is rare in young girls, and I knew no matter what, you would be okay. You would find your way back to me and you did. You always do. _

_With the disease slowly enveloping me, I no longer feel the strength and energy to chase you around anymore like I used to. I see you looking at me sometimes in such a sad but compassionate way that it hurts me physically. I don't want you to ever feel like you have to worry or take care of me. It is I, Lily, who must take care of you. Always until I'm no more. _

_This is the first letter I'm writing to you for when you are older and we can no longer talk like we can now. This first letter is to say that I love you very much, Lily, and you have made me the proudest dad with your kindness, your wisdom, and your unique perseverance. You're very strong and I hope that you will continue to be for the rest of your life. The world needs a heart like yours, young Lily. _

_Share your heart, share your gift to make people smile and feel warm, share your talents and don't ever be afraid. If you can, Lily, love one with all of your heart and don't ever let that man go. If he is the one, he will know how lucky he is to have you and he will promise to spend the rest of his life making you happy. He will love you deeper than I have loved you. _

_You are a special soul. Please do not ever lose sight of that fact because your world begins to dim when your hand starts to reach for the switch. _

_I love you, Lily Evans, and I will always be with you. _

_Laugh. Live. Love. _

_And remember me. _

_Always, Forever and a day, _

_Your loving Dad_

_P.S: Don't forget to give a shout out to me when you win your first Academy Award for Best Actress!_

Lily laughed through her tears at the last part. It was always her father's way to make an entire conversation emotional and then to undercut it with wacky humor. She used to think he wasn't comfortable being completely serious with someone so young but with his words in front of her on the page, she realized that it really was just his way.

It was at that moment she remembered James's words: _I'll be waiting for you_.

And Lily wasted no time and jogged toward the door leading to the ocean.

OooOooO

Sirius breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Bella before him, leaning over the railing to stare at the water below the Santa Monica Pier. It was still dark outside and he had been looking everywhere on campus for her until he ran into Jordan who told him Bella had decided to leave campus. There was only a few places off campus that he knew Bella went to be alone and the Pier was one of them. He was glad he had chosen it first.

"Thank God I found you as quick as I did," he began before she even realized he was behind her. He decided to keep talking, as she turned around, shocked, to see him, "Listen, I'm really happy you're doing what you've always wanted to do. And I'm so sorry I reacted the way I did, it was really immature. It's just that all these things are changing with Lily's house and Remus' new relationship because he's not around as much as he used to be and also, with James and Lily, and—and _us_…"

He trailed off as she stepped forward to stand in front of him and took his hands in her own. "Bella?"

She smiled slowly. "I'm glad you found me too."

Hearing her say that made him smile. "Really?"

"Of course, silly," she rolled her eyes, "You're always the one I want to find me when I separate myself from the group."

"Why is that?"

She guided him along closer toward the balcony and released his hands. "You were always the one to come find me when I ran away. Remember when I used to have my crazy-preteen-girl-out-of-control-outbursts? My parents and James used to just let me go vent out my frustrations but it was always you who used to chase after me and talk me back to rational thought." She laughed and shook her head. "Sometimes, I even used to pretend to be upset and walk away just so you would follow me and we would be alone. Did you know that?"

Sirius shook his head. "To be honest, I was always so concentrated on making sure you were alright that I didn't think too much into those things. I only remember one time Remus warning me that you were at the age when you were crushing on boys big time and that I had to be careful and watch how close I got."

Bella looked thoughtful. "I never knew why you had such an effect on me. I even tried being attracted to Remus but… needless to say, _that_ didn't work."

"Well, there really is no comparison…" Sirius laughed, shaking his head briefly.

She punched him playfully on the shoulder before sobering. "Sirius, I don't want us to break up."

Sirius cast her a serious sideways gaze. "I don't want us to break up either."

"So, let's not, okay?" Bella asked, looking at him hopefully. "Let's finish the rest of this school year positively, loving each other and supporting our friends and family like we have been, and seeing where the rest takes us."

Sirius's eyes cast downward. "Bella, the time is going to come where you get on a plane and leave the country for five months. We need to deal with the impact of that sometime."

"And we'll deal at a later time, I promise," Bella leaned against Sirius and sighed, "I just don't want us to right now."

"I love you, Bella. Don't worry, we'll make it through." Sirius said quietly and kissed her on her hairline.

Her arms wrapped around his middle and she hugged him tight. "I love you too. And we will. I know we will."

OooOooO

"So, anything good?" James said, stuffing his hands in his pockets when she came to stand beside him overlooking the vast ocean.

"Good stuff." Lily answered simply and briefly leaned against James. "Thank you for finding that and for taking me here and for giving me such a good time. I'll probably remember this day for the rest of my life."

"Mm…" James turned his head to place a kiss on her forehead. "You probably will."

His knowing tone of voice made her frown in confusion. He stepped back slowly, putting distance between them and grinning brightly down at her.

"Lily, you said that it was understood that we would be together forever and that you would kick my ass if I let you go." They both smiled at the memory of the previous night and their conversation. "And while it would probably render me with charges and jail time, I'll have you know that your ass will be mine if you ever let _me_ go…"

Lily laughed, shaking her head and shifting on her feet. "I thought we made it perfectly clear for a total of about three and a half hours last night that my ass already _is_ yours…"

"Oh, we did," James smirked but then his face became serious again, "I never thought that I would be at the place where I would do this once, never mind _twice_, but it's definitely crystal clear to me now, more than ever, that I want you with me for the rest of my life. I want to spend my life loving you, Lily, and making you happy."

And he dropped in front of her on one knee with a ring in his hand and said, his voice hoarse and wrought with emotion, "Will you—will you make me the happiest man in this world by saying yes to marrying me?" Swallowing with tears in his hazel eyes, he laughed nervously, "This time?"

Tears poured down her cheeks as she nodded wordlessly at his question. He didn't move, however, until she managed to say, "Yes, I'll marry you."

He slid the ring on the finger of her left hand and stood up at once, gathering her in his arms and embracing her tightly against him. He lifted her off the sand and smiled at her as he held her above him. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms circled around his neck as she leaned down and kissed him soundly on the lips. Theirs was a sweet kiss and it only lasted for a few long seconds before she slid down his body and leaned against him, staring out across the ocean.

"James, look at how far you and I have come." Lily whispered, turning her head so that her cheek rested against his chest but she could still see the ocean. "We've managed to grow so much and so far and we're still together."

"I know," James answered quietly, "And now we'll always be together."

"Remember when I told you that I used to think that this was the place where my life began to end?"

James turned his head to breathe in the scent of her hair. "Yes, and now?"

"Now, I'm beginning to see the possibilities. Now, I see my life _really_ beginning. _Our_ life beginning."

"And what do you think?"

"I think the future makes me wish we had another day here and—and I think I love you more." Lily said quietly.

James nodded in agreement.

"I do too. I love you more and I always will, Lily."

_I look at you looking at me_

_Now I know why they say_

_The best things are free_

_Checking for you_

_Boy, you're right on time_

_Angel of mine…_

"_Lily Evans, huh? That the one, son?"_

_Yeah, Dad. She's the one…_

_**END**_

OooOooO

_Author's Note_: Wow. This is the first, longest story I have ever successfully finished. Can you believe it? I can't. With thirty-one installments, over one thousand-fifty reviews, and over three hundred and twenty-five subscribers, I feel very, very lucky. Internet recognition isn't anything big but it sure makes me feel good when I open my email and I see the love and support of people who know nothing about me but love my work. To those people, thank you so, so much. There are no words, really, to describe _perfectly_ my appreciation, but only to say that your support was what helped me to finish and that I love you guys back! LOL.

I have one request. I would like anyone who reviews this story to tell me his or her most and least favorite moments between the James and Lily of this story. I would really like to hear what those are so if you're a regular reviewer, please just include that in your comments. Thanks!

And, I have held off answering this question publicly on purpose (though, I have written to a few of you through private messaging) but I would like to say that a sequel to _Runaway Love_ is quite possible. The title will most definitely be different than its original and you probably won't see the first installment for quite some time (probably mid to late summer, if I decide to do it at all) but it is a definite possibility. I already have ideas roaming about in my brain of possible plots and schemes so like I've told some of you, that is a _good_ sign.

In the meantime, look out for the possibility of a two-shot dealing with Sirius and Bella's relationship in _Runaway Love_, as well as a special one-shot focusing on James and Lily's New Year's Eve rendezvous!

I would also like to ask anyone who has supported this story to continue and rally his or her support behind my other, young story _Baby Mama Love_. It would really mean a lot to me to see the same pennames that reviewed for this story reviewing for that one.

Once again, thank you so much for the love and time you all have put into reading and reviewing for this story and I hope to hear from you guys soon, whether it is reviewing for _Baby Mama Love_, your own stories, private messaging, or instant messaging.

Much love!

_WhtChoc_


	32. Author's Note

_Friday, July 25, 2008_

**Author's Note**

Hey, how is everyone doing?

The reason for this Author's Note is to let anyone interested know that the sequel for Runaway Love is in progress. It's called What Forever Promises. I have recently uploaded the Prologue and plan to write Chapter One very soon. It was difficult for me in deciding whether or not to do a sequel to Runaway Love but after much thought, I decided I would take a shot at it, knowing everyone would be comparing the two pieces but believing in my ability to continue the love story of James and Lily successfully.

A few things I want to say, though… The sequel takes place about ten years after the end of Runaway Love. Some may say that the characters have changed dramatically but I assure you that you will get the same, maybe even better, quality as Runaway Love. I _promise_ you this.

As you will see, Harry is a five year old in this story and plays a major role in illustrating how much the characters have changed and grown. Or haven't grown. The issues facing the characters will be maturer than Runaway Love in What Forever Promises, the action plots and conflicts will come rapidly and without pause, and the drama, love, and passion between James and Lily will be sharper and more developed.

I encourage everyone who liked, loved, adored, couldn't get enough of Runaway Love to join in on reading the sequel, What Forever Promises. You won't be disappointed. And I am usually the worst critic of myself but trust me when I say, I am very, very excited to write this sequel and I cannot wait to make anyone who reads WFM just as excited as I am.

Give the sequel a chance as you gave Runaway Love a chance and you might find yourself liking it. Hey, maybe even more than the original…

Thank you!

WhtChoc


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